Salman Ali Agha: Pakistan’s New T20 Captain for the New Zealand Tour

Shadab Khan was initially selected for Pakistan's T20I captaincy for the New Zealand tour, but the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to go with Salman Ali Agha instead of him. While Shadab didn’t get the most crucial role, but he was appointed as vice-captain for the series. Pakistan ended up losing the five-match T20I series 1-4.
As per a report from Pakistan Cricket , the PCB had thought about making Shadab the captain but chose not to. Shadab has previous leadership experience in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he captained Islamabad United to a title win last year. He performed well with both bat and ball, playing a key role in the victory and earning the Player of the Tournament award.

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The PCB decided not to appoint Shadab Khan as captain after discussions with the selectors. Before finalizing the squad for the New Zealand tour, the board consulted five mentors Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saqlain Mushtaq, Waqar Younis, Misbah-ul-Haq, and Shoaib Malik. These mentors had earlier been criticized for their supposed role in picking Pakistan’s squad for the Champions Trophy, where the team was knocked out in the group stage. However, they later clarified that they were not involved in the final selection.

🚨PCB REJECTED SHADAB KHAN'S CAPTAINCY PROPOSAL🚨

- Shadab Khan was considered for the T20I captaincy during Pakistan's tour of New Zealand, but PCB rejected the proposal, prioritizing new players for the T20 WC 2026. Salman Ali Agha was appointed as captain. [Cricket Pakistan] pic.twitter.com/NpI9puZ3nx

— Salman (@SalmanAsif2007) April 1, 2025

 

With the T20 World Cup coming up next year, the PCB wanted to try out new players, which is why Salman Ali Agha was given the captaincy. Agha had been one of Pakistan’s most reliable batsmen and was in great form. He ended up as the team’s highest run-scorer in the series, making 167 runs in five matches at an average of 41.75 and a strike rate of 135.77.

On the other hand, Shadab Khan had a rough series. He scored only 58 runs and took just one wicket while conceding runs at an economy of 11 per over. Despite the recent losses, the PCB is still focused on giving young players a chance and encouraging a more aggressive style of cricket.