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LAHORE: Pakistan T20I skipper Salman Ali Agha has shared the strategic reason for replacing Babar Azam at the No. 3 spot in the batting order ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
Agha took the No. 3 position from Babar Azam during the Sri Lanka series and played a blinder during the rain-hit third T20I.
The right-hander was on the verge of breaking Pakistan’s fastest fifty record, scoring 45 off just 12 balls, including three sixes and five fours.
In the first T20I against Australia played today at the Gaddafi Stadium, Salman also came to the fore when the home side lost Sahibzada Farhan for a duck on only the second ball of the innings.
The 32-year-old hit 39 from 27 deliveries, striking four sixes and a boundary.
Overall, Salman has batted at the this position in seven matches, accumulating 216 runs at a strike rate of 161.19 — a stark contrast to his overall T20 career strike rate which is 118.32.
After sealing a 22 run win over Australia in the first of three T20I matches, Agha emphasized batting and clinical bowling performance.
“It was a great game. We started well with the bat but couldn’t finish the way we wanted. It became challenging after the first ten overs as the ball stopped coming onto the bat, but I think we were outstanding with the ball,” he said.
The skipper said that he will be permanently taking up the one down position in a bid to capitalize on spin bowling with an eye on Sri Lanka conditions in T20 World Cup 2026.
“Yes, I’ll be batting at number three. We expect to face a lot of spin, and I believe I can dominate spin during the powerplay. That’s why I moved up, and that is where I’ll stay,” he maintained.
Pakistan were once on course of scoring 200; however Australia curtailed their innings to 168 at the end of 20 overs.
“To be honest, I felt 170 was enough. Given how we were placed after ten overs, we probably could have scored 15 more, but I knew 170 would be plenty on this pitch because our spin bowling is outstanding,” Agha said regarding the team’s total.
Salman Ali Agha also lavished praised on spinners, particularly Abrar Ahmed and expressed confidence ahead of the mega event.
“Abrar has been outstanding since his debut. Since the Asia Cup, our spin bowling has been doing really well for us; they are winning us games day in and day out. Hopefully, they can continue this form through to the World Cup,” he concluded.
