The tournament was marred by sharp political escalation after Bangladesh was kicked out of the tournament and Pakistan refused to face India, who were taking part in the Group A match.
However, a semi-final or final showdown between the South Asian neighbors is still possible.
“The game against India is not under our control. It was the government’s decision and if we have to play them in the semi-final or final, we will go back to them and act on their advice,” Agha told reporters in Colombo.
Bangladesh refused to play in India, citing security concerns, as relations soured and the International Cricket Council kicked them out of Group C to be replaced by Scotland.
Pakistan supported Bangladesh’s request to move the games to Sri Lanka.
The Islamabad government allowed the team to participate but ordered it not to play in the group match against India on February 15. “It’s sad that Bangladesh is not here. They have a very good team. I hope they will support us,” Agha said.
Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for over a decade and only meet at international events.
They will face Namibia, the Netherlands and the USA in the group stage.
“We are very happy to play in this tournament. We lost to the USA at the last World Cup and we are determined to put that disappointment behind us and turn some things around,” Agha said.
Pakistan will not only lose two points by losing the match against India, but will also take a big hit to their net tally.
Even losing one of the group games due to bad weather could make it difficult for Pakistan to qualify.
“We know the margin for error is small, but we can’t control the weather. We are here to play good cricket and we are not bothered by the conditions,” Agha said.
Pakistan, the 2009 champions, arrive after beating Australia 3-0 at home.
“We play really good cricket. We haven’t lost a series since the Asian Cup last year. Everything is going well and we are confident that everything will be fine,” Agha said.
All of Pakistan’s games will be played in Sri Lanka, where they toured in January.
“I’m very happy to play in Sri Lanka – it’s a second home for me. This is my sixth visit, we know the conditions and receive great support,” Agha said.