LAHORE – Salman Ali Agha has been removed as Pakistan’s T20I captain and dropped from the squad for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka, despite having one of the strongest leadership records among Pakistan’s T20 captains.
The decision comes after a mixed period for Salman Ali Agha, during which his leadership record remained impressive but his individual batting form raised concerns.
Salman Ali Agha has led Pakistan in 50 T20 matches, the second-highest number in the country’s history after Babar Azam, who has captained the side in 85 matches. Under Salman Ali Agha’s leadership, Pakistan won 31 matches, lost 18 and had one no-result, giving him a win-loss ratio of 1.720.
Pakistan also produced a respectable campaign under Salman at the 2026 T20 World Cup, winning four of their seven matches, losing two and recording one no-result.
However, Salman’s own batting performance during the tournament became a major concern. He scored just 65 runs in six innings at an average of 9.28, putting his place as both captain and player under scrutiny.
His struggles have come amid a turbulent few months. Salman captained Pakistan in the first Test against England at Leeds but was subsequently dropped for the second Test at Lord’s and sent back home before the third Test in Birmingham.
Despite making a strong comeback in domestic cricket by scoring a first-class triple century in the President’s Trophy, Salman Ali Agha could not retain his position in the national T20 setup.
The Pakistan team management has now handed the T20I captaincy to Sahibzada Farhan, who led the side in the Asian Games final against India earlier this month.
Farhan’s appointment is also backed by his outstanding form in the 2026 T20 World Cup. He scored 383 runs in six innings, including two centuries and two half-centuries, making him one of Pakistan’s standout performers in the tournament.
While Salman’s overall captaincy record remains strong, his recent batting struggles and Farhan’s exceptional form appear to have influenced the decision to make a change in Pakistan’s T20 leadership.
