Top-order batter Ahmed Shehzad has questionedSalman Ali Agha’s spot in Pakistan’s T20I squad. Salman looked completely out of rhythm in the recently-concluded Asia Cup 2025, scoring only 72 runs in seven matches at an egregious average of 12.00. As captain, he was expected to lead the side from the front and set a precedent for other players to perform exceptionally. However, the 31-year-old himself struggled to be among the runs and became the critics’ target. In the final against India, when Pakistanwere witnessing a collapse from 113/1 in 12.5 overs to 131/5 in 15.3 overs, Agha’s responsibility was to step up and play an impactful knock but he fell against Kuldeep Yadav and departed after scoring eight.
Noting Salman’s non-performance, Ahmed
Shehzad said Salman is a decent player but he doesn’t deserve to be in Pakistan’s T20I team. “Salman Ali Agha is a good player, but it is difficult for him to make a place in T20 cricket, yet he has been made the captain,” said Shehzad on a Pakistan news channel.
Salman Ali Agha’s T20I career so far
Salman Ali Agha kicked off his T20I career against Australia in November 2024. Appearing in 32 matches in the shortest form of the sport, he scored 561 runs in 30 innings at an underwhelming strike rate of 110.21. This year, Agha has played 26 T20Is in which he accumulated 511 runs at an average of 26.89.
In March 2025, he replaced Mohammad Rizwan as T20I skipper for the Men in Green. Following the Asia Cup 2025 debacle, it will be interesting to see whether he will be captaining Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2026 to be held in India and Sri Lanka after five months.
