Salman Agha Eyes Fresh Faces as Pakistan Begins Tri-Series Push

Salman Ali Agha didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to. His message before the opening T20I tri-series clash carried enough weight on its own. Pakistan wants to win, sure, but they also want to stretch their younger players, test them, and maybe discover something unexpected along the way. Agha sounded firm about it, and that’s what fans want. 

He looked relaxed at the press conference, almost too relaxed for someone about to lead a new-look group into a busy 12-day assignment. Then again, that’s Agha. A straight answer here, a small smile there, and suddenly the room felt lighter. “The aim is simple,” he said, “we try to give as many players as possible a real chance.” Short line, but it lingered.

But here’s the thing. He didn’t hide behind that youth-first idea. He reminded everyone that winning is the first priority. “You can’t take anyone lightly in T20 cricket,” he added, and he’s right. One loose over, and momentum disappears. One bad shot, and the whole night flips.

The squad barely changed from the South Africa series, with Abdul Samad replacing Hasan Nawaz, whose recent form dipped sharply. Six innings without reaching double figures can do that to a player. Agha didn’t throw him under the bus. He even backed him to return soon. Still, his tone hinted that Samad might get decent minutes. Maybe even the finishing role at six. You could almost sense the curiosity in the room the moment he said it.

And then came the bit about all-rounders. He praised Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Nawaz, gently but clearly. “If they can bowl four overs, of course, we use them,” he smiled. Honestly, that line drew a laugh from a few reporters. It felt like a simple cricket truth stated in the most casual way. 

The middle order, though, remains Pakistan’s headache. Agha admitted the recent dip, he said, “Yeah, we know, and we’re working on it.” 

Pakistan opens against Zimbabwe on Wednesday, then will meet Sri Lanka on November 22. Four league games each, then the final on November 29. And here’s the curiosity: who grabs Agha’s promise of “maximum chances” and turns it into something bigger? The tri-series feels a lot more interesting now.

Pakistan Squad

Salman Ali Agha (c), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq.

Schedule for Pakistan-hosted T20I tri-series

• November 18 (Pakistan vs Zimbabwe)

• November 20 (Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe)

• November 22 (Pakistan vs Sri Lanka)

• November 23 (Pakistan vs Zimbabwe)

• November 25 (Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe)

• November 27 (Pakistan vs Sri Lanka)

• November 29 (Final)