Azhar Mahmood: “The potential, ability and skill Salman Ali Agha and Aamer Jamal have shown is brilliant”
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Interim Pakistan red-ball head coach Azhar Mahmood named T20I captain Salman Ali Agha and Aamer Jamal as two all-rounders who have shown brilliant potential.
Salman has established himself as a key middle-order batsman in all three formats and is increasingly being used as an off-spinner as well.
As for Jamal, he had an immediate impact in his first Test series, which came against Australia from December 2023 to January 2024.
In the three Tests he played, the 28-year-old took 18 wickets at an average of 20.44.
He also struck 143 runs, which included a career-best knock of 82, at an average of 28.60.
Mahmood recognises the value of Salman and Jamal for Pakistan and has pledged to give them time to hone their skills and evolve into genuine all-rounders.
“When we came to the scene, we were not proper all-rounders from day one. It took time. The potential, ability and skill Salman Ali Agha and Aamer Jamal have shown is brilliant. All over the world, all-rounders are made, we do not give much chances to them. Sometimes they will perform with the bat and sometimes with the ball. You need time to prepare an all-rounder,” he was quoted as saying by PakPassion on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Jamal hasn’t played for Pakistan recently, but Salman captained the men in green in their T20I tri-series against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Afghanistan in Sharjah.
In the five games he played, Salman amassed 109 runs, which included a top score of 53 not out, at an average of 27.25 and a strike-rate of 118.47.
The 31-year-old then featured in the 2025 Asia Cup and mustered 72 runs in seven games at an average of 12 and a strike-rate of 80.89.
He also took one wicket at an average of 14 and an economy rate of seven.
Salman and Jamal could feature in Pakistan’s upcoming home series against South Africa as they were included in the Test team.
Pakistan and South Africa will play two Tests, three T20Is, and three ODIs from October 12 to November 8.
Pakistan squad for South Africa Test series: Shan Masood (captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Asif Afridi, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi