Jason Gillespie: “You could see he’s a leader, guys gravitate towards Salman. He’s a very well spoken young man. He always looks to take the positive option”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie said there is no doubt that T20I captain Salman Ali Agha is a leader.
He noted that Salman “always looks at the positives”, which is why he commands such respect from his teammates.
Additionally, the 31-year-old also leads by example as he has become a crucial member of the middle order across all three formats.
“You could see he’s a leader, guys gravitate towards Salman. He’s a very well spoken young man. He always looks to take the positive option, it doesn’t matter what format of the game, he’s always looking to drive the game forward and I think that’s a really great trait to have. I love that he always looks at the positives and always looks to take the positive option,” Gillespie told PakPassion.
Salman recently represented Islamabad United in the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL) and scored 201 runs in nine matches at an average of 25.12 and a strike-rate of 136.73.
He then proceeded to captain Pakistan in their three-match T20I series against Bangladesh and made 90 runs, which included a career-best knock of 56, at an average of 45 and a strike-rate of 155.17.
The men in green then toured Bangladesh, but Salman wasn’t able to have the same kind of impact, finishing with 24 runs in three T20Is at an average of 12 and a strike-rate of 58.53.
Pakistan then toured Bangladesh for three T20Is, but Salman didn’t do quite as well, making 24 runs at an average of 12 and a strike-rate of 58.53.
Most recently, he featured in Pakistan’s tour of the West Indies and amassed 49 runs in the three-match T20I series at an average of 49 and a strike-rate of 113.95.
In the three ODIs that followed, the Lahore native accumulated 62 runs at an average of 20.66.
Pakistan are now playing a T20I tri-series against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Afghanistan in Sharjah, which will end on September 7.
In three matches, Salman has accumulated 78 runs, which includes a top score of 53 not out, at an average of 39 and a strike-rate of 130.
After the T20I tri-series, the men in green will participate in the 2025 Asia Cup, which will take place in the UAE from September 9 to 28.
Pakistan squad for UAE T20I tri-series and 2025 Asia Cup: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem