Salman Ali Agha: “A bad patch can come upon any cricketer. After how much Babar Azam has performed for Pakistan, this little bad patch makes no difference”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan T20I captain Salman Ali Agha has brushed off concerns about Babar Azam’s poor batting form, stating that every cricketer goes through tough times.
He noted that even though the 30-year-old hasn’t been at his usual best, his “little bad patch makes no difference” as there have been so many other times when he has stood up and carried the team on his back.
In the 2025 Champions Trophy, Azam scored 87 runs in two matches, which included a top score of 64, at an average of 43.50.
He was then involved in Pakistan’s limited overs tour of New Zealand, but missed the five-match T20I series as he was not part of the squad.
Azam did take part in the three-match ODI series that followed and amassed 129 runs, which included two fifties, at an average of 43.
“A bad patch can come upon any cricketer. After how much Babar Azam has performed for Pakistan, this little bad patch makes no difference,” Salman was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Azam is now captaining the Peshawar Zalmi in the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL), but has made a dismal start to his campaign as he has mustered three runs in three games at an average of one.
Salman, meanwhile, is playing for Islamabad United and has accumulated 71 runs in two matches at an average of 71.
PSL 10 got underway on April 11 and will conclude on May 18.
Peshawar Zalmi Squad for PSL 10:
- Platinum: Babar Azam (captain), Saim Ayub, Tom Kohler-Cadmore
- Diamond: Corbin Bosch, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Haris
- Gold: Abdul Samad, Hussain Talat, Nahid Rana
- Silver: Arif Yaqoob, Najibullah Zadran, Max Bryant, Mehran Mumtaz, Sufiyan Muqeem
- Emerging: Ali Raza, Maaz Sadaqat
- Supplementary: Ahmed Daniyal, Alzarri Joseph
Islamabad United Squad for PSL 10:
- Platinum: Matthew Short, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan (captain)
- Diamond: Imad Wasim, Azam Khan, Jason Holder
- Gold: Ben Dwarshuis, Salman Irshad, Salman Ali Agha, Haider Ali
- Silver: Andries Gous, Colin Munro, Mohammad Nawaz, Rumman Raees
- Emerging: Hunain Shah, Saad Masood
- Supplementary: Riley Meredith, Rassie van der Dussen