Salman Ali Agha: “We included Abdul Samad because we think he can score quick runs when needed”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan T20I captain Salman Ali Agha has addressed the decision to pick batsman Abdul Samad in the T20I team, saying he “can score quick runs when needed.”
Samad has featured in five T20Is to date and scored 66 runs at an average of 16.50 and a strike-rate of 113.79.
However, he has been out of the national setup for some time, with his last appearance coming in March 2025. As a result, he missed Pakistan’s recent T20I engagements, including a three-match series against South Africa and a tri-series featuring Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
Despite a prolonged absence from the team, the 27-year-old was recalled for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, where Salman expects him to fire with the bat.
“We included Abdul Samad because we think he can score quick runs when needed,” he was quoted as saying on Facebook.
Pakistan’s trip to Sri Lanka will consist of three T20Is that will be held in Dambulla from January 7 to 11.
Pakistan Squad for Sri Lanka T20I Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmad, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq