Under the leadership of Salman Ali Agha, the Pakistan cricket team claimed a 2-1 victory in the three-match T20 series against the West Indies held in Florida, USA. This marks the all-rounder’s third win in five series as captain.

Salman made his international captaincy debut on November 18, 2024, during his third T20 match against Australia at Bellerive Oval, Hobart. A right-handed middle-order batsman and off-break bowler, Salman was chosen by PCB Chairman Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi at a time when the national team was sinking into a whirlpool of failures in modern T20 cricket.

Pakistan’s reputation had taken a severe hit due to successive defeats in ICC and Asia Cup tournaments. The quality of the Green Shirts in modern-day T20 cricket was in sharp decline. In such circumstances, not only was Salman handed the captaincy, but senior players and former captains like Babar Azam, wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi were dropped. Alongside new head coach Mike Hesson, Salman was tasked with leading the team with a new set of players.

It was a tough and challenging journey. After losing the five-match series in New Zealand 1-4 in March 2025, the board’s trust in the team began to pay off. Pakistan went on to win their second trophy in three subsequent series under Salman Ali Agha’s captaincy.

It would not be wrong to say that Salman Ali Agha’s real test as captain has just begun. The reason is simple: in September, the national team will test its luck in the Asia Cup in the UAE – a major challenge for the all-rounder’s leadership ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup scheduled for February–March 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.

My first meeting with Salman Ali Agha was in February 2017 in Dubai during his debut PSL season, where he played for Lahore Qalandars. His father often used to call me, and I would always tell him that his son had a bright future. I used to say that Salman reminded me of Mohammad Hafeez – and time has proven me right. There’s no doubt that he is a hardworking and naturally talented player who is well aware of his abilities.

In a glamorous sport like cricket, where players are often drawn to social media, Salman stays relatively inactive in that space. His focus remains on proving himself as a cricketer, which is why he is rarely in the news for reasons beyond the game.

As an all-rounder, Salman Ali Agha stands out as a mature cricketer. His focus is not limited to T20s; he is also a permanent part of Pakistan’s Test and ODI squads. His recent performances have earned him well-deserved recognition in Pakistan cricket.

Since his Test debut under Babar Azam’s captaincy in Galle against Sri Lanka in July 2022, he has played 21 Tests, scoring 1,317 runs in 40 innings at an average of 38.73, with 3 centuries and 9 fifties. He has also taken 19 wickets in 29 innings.

In ODIs, he has played 38 matches and batted in 31 innings, scoring 1,054 runs at an impressive average of 42.16, including 1 century and 6 fifties.

His T20 career is still in its early stages. In 20 matches (18 innings), he has scored 380 runs from 328 balls at a strike rate of 115.85, with 3 fifties and 4 wickets in 7 bowling innings.

Salman’s T20 captaincy career is also just beginning. While he has played in the Pakistan Super League as a player and led the Lahore region in domestic cricket, all eyes are now on him as Pakistan’s T20 captain – a role that garners the most attention. Remarkably, Salman has captained Pakistan in 18 of the 20 T20s he has played. Balancing his role as a player and a captain has become a real challenge – and for that, he deserves more time and support.

Critics have raised questions about why he didn’t bowl in the series against the West Indies. Some even argue that he doesn’t deserve a place in the team as a batsman alone. This raises an important question: Should Salman bat higher up the order to solidify his position, bowl more frequently, or focus entirely on leadership for the greater good of the team?

He offered a clear answer on August 2, 2025, in the second T20 against the West Indies. Walking in during the fifth over with Pakistan struggling at 21 for 3, the captain showed great responsibility, playing a crucial innings of 38 runs off 33 balls, including three fours and a six.

There’s much more to say, but the reality is this: Salman Ali Agha was handed the captaincy at a time when the national team was divided into cliques, and selections were often based on favoritism and friendships rather than merit. The team had become more about individual performances than collective effort. Some players had become irreplaceable, regardless of whether the team won or lost.

At such a time, PCB Chairman Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi made a masterstroke by appointing Salman Ali Agha as captain – a player who wasn’t part of any group, who earned his place based purely on performance, and who, even as captain, is working to build a merit-based, united team.