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KANDY: Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha has addressed his captaincy future following his side’s elimination from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, despite a narrow win over Sri Lanka in their final Super Eight fixture on Saturday.
The 2009 champions entered the contest knowing that victory alone would not suffice; they needed a massive margin to overhaul New Zealand’s superior net run rate (NRR) and join England in the semi-finals.
Pakistan posted an imposing 212-8 in their 20 overs and went on to secure a five-run win. However, they were required to restrict Sri Lanka to 147 or below to qualify. Falling short of that benchmark meant their campaign ended at the Super Eight stage.
Reflecting on the tournament, Salman Ali Agha did not shy away from criticism, admitting that Pakistan underperformed across departments.
“If I have to sum up the whole tournament, I think we played below-average cricket,” he said at the post-match press conference.
“We couldn’t bat well throughout the tournament. If Sahibzada Farhan had more support, it would have been better. The middle order has been a problem for a few years now, and we’ll have to look at that.”
He also stated that both he and head coach Mike Hesson would take full responsibility for the team’s performance.
“We haven’t qualified for the semi-finals in the last four ICC tournaments because we haven’t made the right decisions at crucial moments. The coach and I will take full responsibility for this performance,” he said.
Salman Ali Agha also made it clear that he will not make an immediate decision on his captaincy.
“If I decide about my captaincy right now, it would be an emotional decision. I will go back, take a few days, and then see what decision I make,” he said.
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