Kamran Akmal: “Salman Ali Agha is a quality Test and ODI player, but he isn’t ready for T20 cricket. Players with higher strike-rates are being dropped instead”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal has questioned Salman Ali Agha’s place in the T20I side, saying the middle order batsman “isn’t ready” for the shortest format.
Salman, who serves as Pakistan’s T20I captain, has represented the country in 52 matches and scored 916 runs, which includes six fifties, at an average of 22.90 and a strike-rate of 123.11.
Akmal argued that Pakistan have other players who deserve a place in the squad ahead of Salman, particularly those with higher strike-rates.
“Salman Ali Agha is a quality Test and ODI player, but he isn’t ready for T20 cricket. Players with higher strike-rates are being dropped instead,” he was quoted as saying by TOK Sports on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Salman just finished leading the men in green in the 2026 T20 World Cup, where he accumulated 60 runs in seven matches at an average of 10 and a strike-rate of 130.43.
Bowling-wise, he took one wicket at an average of 10 and an economy rate of five.
Pakistan made it to the Super Eights, but were unable to book their spot in the semi-finals.
Pakistan Squad for 2026 T20 World Cup: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq