Cricket: Shadab Khan to replace Salman Ali Agha as Pakistan T20I captain?
Agha to lose captaincy ahead of South Africa T20I series
Chopping and changing of leadership is not a rare occurrence for Pakistan, and Salman Ali Agha is reportedly on the verge of becoming the latest player stripped of his captaincy following the team’s 2025 Asia Cup disappointment.
The Shaheens faced off against their arch-rivals India three times during the Asia Cup and lost all three games, including the final at the Dubai iInternational Stadium, which also confirmed our cricket predictions for that match.
Last week, reports emerged that the Pakistan Cricket Board are considering handing the reigns to star all-rounder Shadab Khan, who missed the Asia Cup due to injury, but is expected to return to the squad ahead of their next assignment against South Africa.
The reports have divided opinion, given that Agha’s record as skipper of the T20I team is the second-best of the last four captains. There are also questions around why Mohammad Rizwan, the current ODI captain, was overlooked for the role.
It is understood that the pending decision stems from the PCB’s plans of a strategic reset leading up to the 2026 T20 World Cup which will be held in India and Sri Lanka. The Shaheens suffered elimination in the group stage of the tournament last year.
Pakistan off to strong start in second Test against Proteas
Before Pakistan return to the shortest format of the game, they are currently playing out the second of their two-match Test series against world champions South Africa, and have got off to a solid start on Day 1.
The Men in Green beat the Proteas by 93 runs in the first Test in Lahore last week and went into the dressing rooms on 259/5 at stumps on Day 1 of the second Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Monday evening.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Abdullah Shafique gave the Green Shirts a solid start with a patient 57 runs at the the top of the order, while Test skipper Shan Masood notched up 87 from 176 deliveries at number three.
Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer have taken two wickets apiece for South Africa. Saud Shakeel (42*) and Agha (10*) will return to the crease for the hosts on Tuesday morning to continue their first innings push.
