Pakistan captain Salman Agha failed to score anything significant while Babar Azam again fell after yet another slow knock in the Super 8 match against
England on Tuesday.
In the high-stakes Super 8 clash of the T20 World Cup 2026 at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pakistan, led by captain Salman Ali Agha, opted to bat first against England after winning the toss.
The match proved challenging for Pakistan's top order, with early wickets putting pressure on the experienced duo of Salman Agha and Babar Azam.
Salman Ali Agha, batting at No. 3, came in after the early dismissal of opener Saim Ayub. He started cautiously but showed glimpses of aggression, smashing a boundary in one over. However, his innings was cut short at just 5 runs off 6 balls, including one four. Attempting a big shot against spinner Liam Dawson, he holed out to Jamie Overton at long-off, departing when Pakistan were 27/2. His quick exit added to the early jitters, as the side struggled for momentum in the Powerplay.
Babar Azam, walking in at No. 4, anchored the recovery alongside later partners. He began positively, striking back-to-back fours in one over to boost his confidence. Babar looked in good touch initially, rotating strike and finding gaps. Yet, the mounting required rate forced him into risky shots. On 25 off 24 balls (with a couple of boundaries), he fell to Jamie Overton, played on as he swung across the line to a hard-length delivery that sneaked through and rattled the off-stump. The dismissal ended a 46-run stand in 44 balls, highlighting the middle-overs slowdown that plagued Pakistan.
Both players' contributions were limited by England's disciplined bowling, particularly from Overton and Dawson, leaving the middle order to accelerate. Babar's painstaking knock fueled ongoing debates about his T20 strike rate, while Agha's brief stay underscored the captain's aggressive intent amid early chaos. Pakistan aimed for a competitive total, but the top-order collapses made it an uphill battle against a strong English attack.
And after the woeful knocks, fans turned on both Babar Azam and the Pakistan captain on social media.
Babar Azam Bas Karde mere bhai bas karde
- Usman (@Usman_F2000) February 24, 2026
Another match another flop show babar Azam. Koee sharam koee haya karo @babarazam258 or retire hojao. #PAKvsENG
- Eli HK (@EliHk2) February 24, 2026
The Pakistan team is just carrying Babar Azam but I don't know why ?
- Mukul (@Mukuleka41) February 24, 2026
They can give to any other player who can bat at no 4. In the t20i cricket Babar Azam is worthless.
Fans were not kind to Salman Ali Agha as well, who has had a torrid outing with the bat in this T20 World Cup. Things have turned from bad to worse for Agha, who has just 132 runs in 11 innings in T20I tournaments.
Salman Agha nicely fooled them by playing 2 good innings against Australia's second string attack, promoted himself to 3. Now back to his usual T20 game in this World Cup#PAKvsENG
- Mahesh (@zurange_mahesh) February 24, 2026
Salman Agha in T20I Tournaments
- Team India🇮🇳🇮🇳 (@PritiThaku53390) February 24, 2026
0, 3, 20, 17*, 5, 19, 8, 12, 1, 4, 38, 5
Inngs : 12 || Runs : 132 || Avg : 12.00 || SR : 99.24#PakvsEng #PAKvsENG #icct20worldcup2026 #ICCT20WORLDCUP pic.twitter.com/WyKdBL7sjI
