Pakistan will face Sri Lanka in their last Super 8s game on February 28.
Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar has stated that Salman Ali Agha was forced into the captaincy of the Pakistani T20I team, and he is not captaincy material. Akhtar’s words came after Pakistan lost to England in their second Super 8s game in Pallekele and are on the verge of exiting from the T20 World Cup 2026.
Akhtar was severe in his criticism of Salman Ali Agha, who he said was not “cut out” to be a captain.
“The question I need to ask in three weeks is whether Agha will remain team captain. If you (Pakistan Cricket Board and think tank) had any long-term vision, you wouldn’t have to make this decision three weeks from now. I don’t think he is cut out for this job as a captain. And if you are expecting a miracle from him or comparing him to someone like Harry Brook, I am so sorry,” Akhtar said on the Game On Hai show.
“Looking at him tactically, he is not captaincy material. He was forced into the role as a ‘make-shift’ arrangement, and now the reality is right in front of you. How many more mistakes will he make?” he added.
Saqlain Mushtaq and Mohammad Hafeez were shocked at Agha’s decision not bowl trump card spinner Usman Tariq until the 8th over, despite Shaheen Afridi demolishing the top order.
“If he isn’t giving Usman Tariq the sixth over, how much ‘rocket science’ do you need? We have all played the game; we all understand cricket. But again, I don’t think he is cut out for this, and I don’t see him remaining captain in six weeks. What will happen is that the entire blame will now be shifted onto Salman Agha. The management will quietly slip away, and those who appointed him will escape accountability. This is exactly why you pick a ‘weak’ person for the job. You want weak people in high positions so that when it’s time to fire someone, you can easily pin the blame on them. Now, they will dump the failure of the entire World Cup on Salman’s shoulders. That is how history repeats itself,” he added.
Pakistan will next face Sri Lanka on February 28 in Pallekele in a must-win game.