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Currently leading Pakistan’s T20 side, Salman Ali Agha has been facing mounting criticism over what many are calling repeated captaincy failures. His leadership has come under intense scrutiny, with fans and analysts openly questioning whether he is the right man to guide the team forward.
Not only has his captaincy been criticized, but Salman has also struggled to justify his place in the squad as an all-rounder. Much of the criticism stems from questionable decisions and costly blunders during the ACC Asia Cup 2025, followed by another series of disappointing moments in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
Captaincy Blunders in the Asia Cup 2025:
Agha proved himself to be a failed captain in the Asia Cup as well. In the final match against India, he failed to manage and utilize his bowlers properly. Even after knowing that Haris was the most expensive bowler throughout the match, he still gave him the death overs, which ultimately ruined the game. Although Faheem Ashraf somehow pulled things back in the 19th over, Haris spoiled the effort. The captain’s decision to let Haris bowl at the death, despite seeing how expensive he had been, cost Pakistan another trophy.
Also see: Pakistan Kits in T20 World Cup Over the Years
Agha being failed captain in the T20 World Cup 2026:
Agha’s pattern of making absurd decisions once again proved him to be a failed captain in the currently ongoing T20 World Cup. He chose to bowl first against India despite knowing how weak and vulnerable Pakistan is while chasing. What followed was predictable, Pakistan suffered another heavy defeat against India.
Against England, he again demonstrated poor captaincy. When Usman Tariq bowled well in his over, he was not given the ball again until the match had almost slipped away. It was obvious that if Usman was performing well, he should have been allowed to complete his quota of overs. Instead, Agha brought him back only when the match was nearly out of Pakistan’s hands and the other bowlers had already conceded too many runs. That is how Pakistan ended up losing a winning game against England.
Moreover, he has not only made mistakes in captaincy but has also failed to perform with the bat.
His poor performances and leadership decisions pushed Babar to bat at number four, while Agha himself continued to bat at one down throughout the tournament, which makes little sense. Babar Azam, being a specialist and full-time batsman, was pushed down to number four, while Agha, an all-rounder, batted at number three which seems unreasonable. Not only does he bat at one down, but he has also failed to deliver consistently.
Agha Salman in ACC and ICC Tournaments:
Agha has proven to be not only a failed captain but also a struggling batting all-rounder. In the Asia Cup 2025, he played seven innings and scored just 72 runs at a strike rate of 81. He is also struggling with the bat in the currently ongoing T20 World Cup 2026.
Also see: Team Pakistan’s Struggle: Can They Bounce Back in WT20 to Make it into the Semis?
Journalists and Former Cricketer’s remarks about Agha’s captaincy:
Former Pakistani cricketer Rashid Latif says,
“Give him Shane Warne, give him Abdul Qadir, give him Muralitharan, give him Saqlain he’ll still make you lose.”
Indian Sports Journalist Vikrant Gupta says,
Just like the India game, Salman Agha was poor with his captaincy. Their biggest winner, Usman Tariq, bowled the 8th over, picked up a wicket and didn’t concede runs, and Kaptaan Saab took him off and brought him back only after others conceded 36 off the next three overs virtually when the game was over. Poor captaincy. If he couldn’t win this game with as many runs, he possibly can’t win any.”
