Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has expressed that Salman Ali Agha’s selection as captain for the T20I series against New Zealand is part of the national selectors’ strategy to make Shadab Khan the skipper.
Agha on Tuesday, became Pakistan’s fourth T20I captain since January 2024, following Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan.
Ali indicated that the New Zealand tour will prove to be a significant challenge for the team, and if they underperform, Agha will likely be replaced by Shadab.
“The selectors appointed Salman Ali Agha because they are looking to install Shadab Khan as captain,” he remarked.
“The upcoming tour will be tough, and then Shadab will be ready to step in. Let Shadab play; he’s a talented player, and if he performs well, he’ll be back,” Ali stated.
He also raised concerns about Agha’s suitability for the T20 format, arguing that while Agha excels in Test and ODI cricket, he is not well-suited for T20s.
“Salman Ali Agha is a good player in Tests and ODIs, but he isn’t a T20 player. The selectors are overlooking this fact,” Ali said.
Basit Ali criticised the national selectors for favoritism in their squad selections for the New Zealand tour, claiming a chaotic situation has arisen.
“Pakistan has announced their teams, and it’s created a major mess. Players were chosen based on various individuals’ preferences. A team shouldn’t be formed this way. They might just be trying to mislead the public,” he concluded.
It is pertinent to note that the series between Pakistan and New Zealand will run from 16 March 16 to 5 April, featuring five T20Is and three ODIs. The T20I series will kick off in Christchurch on 16 March, while the second match is scheduled to be played in Dunedin on 18 March.
The third match will be played in Auckland on 21 March, while the subsequent games are scheduled in Mount Maunganui and Wellington on 23 and 26 March, respectively.
Following the T20I series, the teams will travel to Napier for the first ODI, scheduled for 29 March. The second ODI will be played on 2 April in Hamilton, while Mount Maunganui will host the final ODI on 5 April.
Read: Miller’s century in vain as New Zealand outclass South Africa in Champions Trophy semi-final
Faruque Ahmed, Chairman of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), has provided a major update regarding…
DUBAI: India's batting maestro Virat Kohli shared his thoughts following the Men in Blue's hard-fought…
DUBAI: New Zealand allrounder Glenn Phillips took an incredible catch to dismiss Indian opener Shubman…
Star New Zealand batter Kane Williamson will not take to the field as they put…
Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq criticized Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar for his comments about the Pakistan…
DUBAI: India emerged victorious against New Zealand by 4 wickets in a hard-fought battle in…