Salman Ali Agha Set to Lead Pakistan Cricket Team as All-Format Captain

New Leadership for Pakistan Cricket

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is preparing to name Salman Ali Agha as the captain for all formats of the game. Having taken on the role of permanent T20I captain in March, Agha has led the team to show a renewed vigor in their batting approach compared to previous performances.

Agha's impressive track record in both ODIs and Tests has made him a strong candidate for the captaincy, with PCB looking to replace current ODI and Test captains, Rizwan and Masood. This sentiment is echoed by the new head coach Mike Hesson, the selection committee, and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

Insights from Sources

“The selection committee, head coach Hesson, and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi all agree that Salman should take on the role of all-format captain,” 

Rizwan, the current ODI captain, has expressed dissatisfaction with the limited control he has over team selections under the previous head coach, Aaqib Javed, who now serves as the High Performance Director.

He had contemplated stepping down if he was not retained as captain, and it now seems likely he may be removed from his position. Meanwhile, Test captain Shan Masood has struggled, with the team winning only 3 out of 12 matches during his tenure.

This includes a historic series loss to Bangladesh and an inability to secure a victory against the West Indies at home. Masood's batting average of 34.04 raises questions about his place in the Test squad.

“Masood’s leadership has been lackluster and timid, making it inevitable for him to lose the captaincy. His own performance has also been subpar, paving the way for Salman to take over,” sources indicated.