As Pakistan prepares to kick off its T20 World Cup campaign against the Netherlands in Colombo, the air surrounding the camp is a mix of clinical confidence and radical transparency. Captain Salman Agha has undergone a personal metamorphosis, and his leadership style suggests that no name—no matter how big—is safe from the “team-first” axe.
Since the 2024 World Cup, Pakistan has been the busiest T20I side on the planet, playing a staggering 47 matches. It has been a period defined by upheaval: coaching overhauls, leadership shuffles, and a rollercoaster of results. However, after a shaky start to the year, the “Men in Green” have found their rhythm, winning six of their last eight series, including a dominant 3-0 sweep of Australia.
The Captain’s Evolution: Salman Agha’s New Approach
At 32, Salman Agha is playing the best cricket of his life. While his career strike rate of 122.63 suggests a steady accumulator, his recent numbers tell a story of an aggressive powerhouse. Since November, Agha has hammered 258 runs at a blistering strike rate of 170.86, accounting for nearly a third of his career runs in just a few months.
Agha attributes this surge to a mental shift during a brief hiatus following a tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. He realized that while he was a natural in Tests and ODIs, his T20 game was lagging. The solution? Learning to “switch off” the captaincy while at the crease.
“I think I’ve learnt how to put that captaincy away when I go to bat,” Agha explained. “I’m just going as a batter to express myself and enjoy the game. It’s certainly changed my technique, but mostly it’s mindset.”
Performance Over Reputation: The Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman Dilemma
Perhaps the most striking part of Agha’s pre-tournament stance is his willingness to address the elephant in the room: the form of superstars Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman.
Babar, who returned to the side in October after a 10-month absence, has struggled to find his old fluency, striking at just 117.01 over his last 11 innings. Fakhar’s situation is equally dire, with a high score of just 10 in his last five outings. While Agha acknowledged Babar’s importance as a “stability” player, he was firm about the selection criteria for the World Cup.
“We’ll only play who is best for the team,” Agha stated. “Fakhar and Babar have done amazingly well over the last decade, and I support them fully. But what’s best for the team is what we’ll play.”
This “no-guarantees” approach adds an extra layer of tension to the World Cup opener. With Pakistan already forfeiting two points due to their boycott of the fixture against India, the margin for error against Associate nations like the Netherlands is non-existent.
The weather in Colombo remains a concern, with unseasonal rain threatening the schedule, but Agha is keeping his squad focused on the variables they can influence. Fresh off a statement victory against Australia, Pakistan’s goal is simple: ignore the noise, ignore the clouds, and play a brand of cricket where the name on the back of the jersey matters less than the performance on the pitch.
