Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has heaped high praise on Pakistan vice-captain Salman Ali Agha ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin highlighted Salman Ali Agha and Tayyab Tahir as key players to watch in the tournament.
“I am very excited about two players: Tayyab Tahir and Agha Salman. Actually, Agha Salman should be mentioned first—what a player he is,” Ashwin remarked
“He has quality, he can handle pressure situations, and he has a presence at the crease that I haven’t seen in a Pakistani player for a long time.”
Ravichandran Ashwin didn’t hold back in his praise for Salman, even making a bold comparison statement that he can surpass even Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in the future.
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“And I mean it—he has that presence. I just hope he doesn’t follow the path of some other players,” he added.
“If he continues playing like this, he could become a poster boy for Pakistan cricket. I genuinely believe Agha Salman has the ability to surpass even Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.”
The 38-year-old also spoke highly of Tayyab Tahir, calling him an “exceptional middle-order player” and emphasizing that Pakistan has found a solid option in that role after a long time.
“Tayyab Tahir is an exceptional middle-order player. Pakistan has found one after a long time,” he stated.
For the unversed, the defending champions and hosts Pakistan will begin their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with a game against New Zealand on February 19.
They will then travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the much-awaited clash against arch-rivals India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on February 23. Pakistan will then return home to face Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on February 27.
Pakistan squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
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