Tag: Salman Ali Agha

Pakistan white-ball vice-captain Salman Ali Agha has expressed optimism about the recovery of young opener Saim Ayub ahead of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Saim sustained a fractured ankle on the opening day of the Cape Town Test against South Africa, ruling him out for an initial six weeks. He is currently in London for his treatment and a detailed evaluation of his injury.

Salman, during a media interaction in Lahore on Friday, offered an encouraging update, while requesting fans to pray for Saim’s speedy recovery.

“The reports are positive, and Saim Ayub is expected to recover in time for the Champions Trophy. Please keep him in your prayers for a speedy recovery,” he stated.

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Salman Ali Agha also showed confidence in the team’s readiness for the mega-event, which is scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan.

“We are ready for the Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan. After playing a long season, there is another long season ahead, so the preparation is good,” said Salman.

However, he was quick to highlight that the immediate focus remains on the upcoming series against the West Indies.

“The Champions Trophy is on our minds, but before that, the West Indies series is ongoing,” he added.

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Renowned Indian cricket commentator and analyst Harsha Bhogle has heaped high praise on Pakistan’s all-rounder and white-ball vice-captain Salman Ali Agha.

The 31-year-old all-rounder has been a mainstay of Pakistan’s red-ball setup for two years, however, recently he has shown glimpses of his brilliance in white-ball cricket too.

In 2024, he scored 209 runs at an average of 41.80 in nine ODIs during the tours of Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. With the bowl, he was equally impressive, taking 11 wickets at an average of 19.18.

Harsha Bhogle, during a discussion on his YouTube channel, highlighted Salman’s all-round brilliance and emphasized his immense potential as a player who could shape the future of Pakistan’s cricketing landscape.

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“I know Pakistan likes Saud Shakeel, but when I saw another young player at the end of last year here in Australia, I just thought, ‘He can bowl and he can definitely bat—more of a batter than a bowler—but he is some player,'” said Bhogle.

“I am very happy that it has started to get reflected in the numbers, and it is Salman Ali Agha. I hope we see more of him.”

It’s worth noting that Salman also exhibited his leadership potential during the tour of Zimbabwe, where he led the team in the T20I series in the absence of regular skipper Mohammad Rizwan.

Under Salman, Pakistan defeated Zimbabwe convincingly in first two games, however, they lost the last game to take a 2-1 series victory.

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PAARL: Saim Ayub scored his second century, while Salman Ali Agha showcased his all-round brilliance to lead Pakistan to a thrilling victory in the first ODI of the three-match series against South Africa here at Boland Park on Tuesday.

Chasing a target of 240, the visiting team successfully achieved the total with three balls to spare and took a 1-0 lead in the series.

Salman Ali Agha, after taking four wickets in the first innings, played a calm and composed knock of 82* in 90 balls with the help of six boundaries, which included two sixes.

The right-hander came out to bat with Pakistan struggling at 60-4 and formed a solid partnership of 141 runs with opening batter Saim Ayub.

They took Pakistan’s total to 201 before Kagiso Rabada broke the partnership with the wicket of Saim, who scored 109 runs from 119 balls with the help of ten boundaries and three sixes.

Pakistan lost two more wickets in quick succession before Naseem Shah (9*) joined Salman and they constructed an unbeaten 33-run stand to take their team across the line.

For South Africa, Rabada and Ottneil Baartman took two wickets each, while Marco Jansen and Tabraiz Shamsi bagged one each.

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Earlier, South Africa’s stand-in captain Aiden Markram chose to bat first after winning the coin toss against Pakistan’s formidable bowling attack.

The decision seemed to bore fruits initially as Tony de Zorzi and Ryan Rickelton built a 70-run opening stand in 59 balls before Salman Ali Agha turned things around with his off-spin bowling.

De Zorzi scored 33 off 25 with the help of six boundaries, while Rickelton struck seven fours on his way to a 38-ball 36.

Salman removed both batters in successive overs, followed by the wickets of Rassie van der Dussen and Tristan Stubbs (1) in his fourth over to leave South Africa reeling at 88-4.

Markram (35) and Heinrich Klaasen then joined hands to take the hosts out of the trouble with a 73-run stand for the fifth wicket before Saim Ayub broke the budding partnership.

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Klaasen then waged a lone war, playing a brilliant knock of 86 runs from 97 balls, which featured seven fours and two sixes, to take his team’s total beyond the 200-run mark.

Shaheen Shah Afridi ended Klaasen’s knock before Kagiso Rabada (11) and Ottneil Baartman (10*) added crucial 21 runs for the ninth wicket.

Rabada got run out on the last ball of the innings as South Africa finished with 239-9.

Salman Ali Agha led Pakistan’s bowling attack with his figures of 4-32, while Abrar Ahmed took two wickets.

Pakistan Playing XI: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Salman Ali Agha, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf

South Africa Playing XI: Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram (c), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Marco Jansen, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Ottneil Baartman, Tabraiz Shamsi

READ: Babar Azam eyes major milestones during South Africa ODIs

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday, held a meeting with newly-appointed white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan and his deputy Salman Ali Agha ahead of the national team’s tour to Australia.

In a meeting that was also attended by PCB COO Salman Naseer, Naqvi wished the captain and vice-captain good luck for the crucial white-ball series against Australia.

He expressed his confidence in the players to showcase their talent on the stiff tour before emphasizing team unity key to success.

“Leading the white-ball team is an honour,” Naqvi said.

“The nation expects a remarkable performance from the team during the Australia and Zimbabwe series. Our players are talented and professional, and I am confident they will showcase their best talent.

“Playing as a united team and fighting till the last ball are keys to success. If the team performs as one unit, no one can defeat you.”

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In response, white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan and deputy Salman Ali Agha expressed gratitude towards Mohsin Naqvi for entrusting them with the leadership of the national white-ball side.

The duo also vowed to make every effort to meet nation’s expectations and flair well on tours of Australia and Zimbabwe.

“We are determined to perform well during the tours of Australia and Zimbabwe,” Rizwan said.

“We will make every effort to meet the nation’s expectations,” he added.

Pakistan Squad for Australia Tour

ODI SQUAD: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (vc) and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

T20I SQUAD: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan.

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday announced the appointment of wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan as the white-ball captain of the national cricket team.

Meanwhile, Salman Ali Agha has been appointed as the vice-captain of Pakistan’s white-ball team.

Naqvi made the announcement during a press conference in Lahore, accompanied by newly appointed captain and vice-captain Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha respectively. They were joined by the members of the selection committee Aqib Javed and Azhar Ali.

It’s worth noting that Rizwan replaced fellow batter Babar Azam, who stepped down as Pakistan’s white-ball captain earlier this month.

Babar’s resignation came in the wake of the national team’s disastrous campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 where they suffered their first-ever group-stage exit, mainly pertaining to their shock loss against the United States of America (USA) and gut-wrenching defeat at the hands of arch-rivals India.

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Mohammad Rizwan will kick off his stint as Pakistan captain from the upcoming tour of Australia, where Pakistan will play a three-match ODI series followed by three T20Is, scheduled to run from November 4 until November 18.

Earlier today, the PCB announced squads for the upcoming white-ball series against Australia and Zimbabwe.

The 32-year-old wicket-keeper will lead the team during the Australia matches and Zimbabwe ODIs but will be rested from the Zimbabwe T20Is. In his absence, Salman Ali Agha will lead Pakistan in the T20I series against Zimbabwe.

Pakistan Squad for Australia Tour

ODI SQUAD: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (vc) and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

T20I SQUAD: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan

Pakistan Squad for Zimbabwe Tour

ODI SQUAD: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Shahnawaz Dahani and Tayyab Tahir

T20I SQUAD: Salman Ali Agha (c), Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan

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DUBAI: Pakistan all-rounder Salman Ali Agha enjoyed significant gains, while Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan experienced a further drop in their positions in the latest ICC Test Batting Rankings released on Wednesday.

Babar Azam dropped four places to 19th with 677 points after missing the second Test against England. He was dropped from the squad after the first Test owing to his extended poor run of form.

He managed a meagre 64 runs in four innings during the home Test series against Bangladesh last month, while in the first Test against England, he scored only 35 runs

On the other hand, Mohammad Rizwan lost two spots to 21 with 669 rating points following his below-par performance in the two Tests against England where he managed only 74 runs.

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Salman Ali Agha, who has been enjoying a purple patch lately, earned the rewards for his impressive batting performance as he jumped eight places to claim the 14th spot in the ICC Test Batting Rankings.

He has scored 261 runs in the ongoing series so far with an unbeaten century and two half-centuries with an average of 87.

Pakistan’s Test vice-captain Saud Shakeel also suffered a steep decline, falling seven places to 27th position with 642 points after scoring a meagre 146 runs in two Tests against England.

Notably, spin bowlers Sajid Khan and Noman Ali made a remarkable return to the Pakistan team in the second Test against England. They shared 20 wickets to steer the team to their first victory on home soil in the last three years.

Consequently, Sajid Khan jumped a whopping 22 places to the 50th spot, while Noman Ali was re-instated at the 17th position in the ICC Test Bowling Rankings.

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RAWALPINDI: Pakistan all-rounder Salman Ali Agha expressed his readiness and excitement to take the challenge as the team’s sole spinner in the first Test against Bangladesh.

The series between Pakistan and Bangladesh is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25, with the first Test commencing at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 21-25 August.

Pakistan selectors have opted to go with an all-pace attack in the first Test, with Salman being the only spinner in the squad.

While addressing a press conference at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday, Salman shared that he is not under pressure to play as the sole spinner.

“I have played as a sole spinner in Australia and did well there,” said Salman Ali Agha. “There is no pressure and I am ready to take the challenge.”

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Salman noted that due to the favourable conditions for fast bowlers on Rawalpindi’s pitch, the selectors decided not to include a specialist spinner in the team.

“The pitch in Rawalpindi looks green and seems to favour fast bowlers more,” he commented.

The all-rounder also shed light on the team environment and shared that the players don’t pay much attention to social media.

“The atmosphere in the team is healthy. All players back each other like brothers and friends. We have nothing to do with whatever is going on social media,” he added.

Notably, the second Test of the series, which was originally scheduled in Karachi from 30 August to 3 September, has been moved to Rawalpindi due to the ongoing construction work at the National Bank Stadium.

Pakistan squad for first Test against Bangladesh: Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel, Aamir Jamal (subject to fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Hurraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Shaheen Shah Afridi.

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LAHORE: All-rounder Salman Ali Agha earned his maiden call-up, while fast bowlers Haris Rauf and Hasan Ali have returned to the Pakistan squad for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England.

The national selection committee members Abdul Razzaq, Bilal Afzal, Mohammad Yousuf and Wahab Riaz announced the 18-member Pakistan squad during a press conference here on Thursday.

Rauf recovered from his shoulder injury, which he suffered during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season nine against Karachi Kings in February.

He missed most part of the PSL 9 and the recently concluded T20I series against New Zealand due to the aforementioned injury.

Along with Rauf, wicketkeeper Azam Khan was also sidelined for the New Zealand T20Is due to a calf injury, while middle-order batter Muhammad Irfan Khan and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan were rested from the two T20Is in Lahore due to niggles.

The four cricketers underwent fitness assessments at the National Cricket Academy on Tuesday afternoon, showing significant improvement.

This progress has provided confidence and encouragement to the PCB Medical Panel and the team management regarding their potential availability during the seven T20Is.

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Meanwhile, Agha was called up on the back of his impressive performance in the PSL 9, where he scored 310 runs for Islamabad United at a strike rate of 140.27.

Hasan Ali, who last played a T20I match against Sri Lanka in Asia Cup 2022, was called back owing to his extensive experience, having featured in 50 T20Is and excelling in bilateral series and ICC Events. He claimed 14 wickets in 10 games during PSL 9.

Meanwhile, leg spinner Usama Mir, who was the highest wicket-taker in the PSL 9, and pace bowler Zaman Khan were dropped from the squads for the Ireland and England series.

The team is scheduled to depart for Dublin on 7 May following a three-day training camp in Lahore from 4-6 May.

The national team will play a three-match T20I series against Ireland from 10 May, followed by a four-match series against England.

Pakistan will announce the squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 after the first T20I against England, scheduled on 22 May.

Pakistan Squad for Ireland & England Tour

Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayyub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Khan

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All-rounder Salman Ali Agha on Monday expressed his desire to return home from India with the ICC World Cup 2023 trophy.

Salman Ali Agha, who represented Pakistan in 18 ODI matches, amassing 436 runs at an average of 39.63 with the help of three half-centuries, is part of Pakistan’s 15-member squad to participate in the forthcoming ICC World Cup 2023, which will be played in India from October 5 to November 19.

While talking to the media, the 29-year-old all-rounder shared that representing Pakistan in the ICC World Cup 2023 was a dream.

“It was a dream to play the World Cup, which is about to be fulfilled,” said Salman Ali Agha. “I wish that our team returns from India with the World Cup trophy.”

He also stressed the fact that he is working hard to play his role for Pakistan both with the bat and ball.

“I am working hard and will try to play my part in batting and bowling according to the team plan,” he added.

Pakistan squad for ICC World Cup 2023

Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, M Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha.

Travelling reserves: Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan

Pakistan’s warm-up matches schedule:

• September 29 — vs New Zealand in Hyderabad
• October 3 — vs Australia in Hyderabad

Pakistan’s schedule for the ICC World Cup 2023:

• October 6 – vs Netherlands in Hyderabad
• October 10 – vs Sri Lanka in Hyderabad
• October 14 – vs India in Ahmedabad
• October 20 – vs Australia in Bengaluru
• October 23 – vs Afghanistan in Chennai
• October 27 – vs South Africa in Chennai
• October 31 – vs Bangladesh in Kolkata
• November 4 – vs New Zealand Bengaluru (Day match)
• November 11 – vs England in Kolkata

The day matches will start at 10:00 am Pakistan Standard Time (PST) while all other matches will be day-night fixtures, starting at 01:30 pm (PST).

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LAHORE: Pakistan all-rounder Salman Ali Agha has set his sights on giving his best in the highly-anticipated clash between Pakistan and India in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023, scheduled to commence on August 30.

Agha, while talking to the media here on the sidelines of the national men’s team’s ongoing training camp for the ODI series against Afghanistan and this year’s Asia Cup expressed his desire to perform well against arch-rivals India in the continental event.

“I will try to perform at my best against India in the Asia Cup,” said Agha.

Salman Ali Agha was adjudged player of the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, amassing 221 runs and picking up three wickets, including an unbeaten hundred in the last Test.

However, Agha will now turn his attention to white-ball cricket as Pakistan is scheduled to play a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan in Sri Lanka, before embarking on the Asia Cup journey, which will run from August 30 to September 17.

“I try to play according to the format, and as a player, I try to perform well in every game. ODI format is different [than Test and T20I], and I am trying to adjust myself according to that,” Agha Salman said.

“I will try to perform at my best as I did in test cricket,” he added.

Salman Ali Agha has thus represented Pakistan in 11 ODIs and accumulated 337 runs at an average of 48.14, with the help of three fifties while picking up three wickets.

His last white-ball appearance was against New Zealand in May 2023, where he scored a run-a-ball 57.

Agha then went on to praise Afghanistan’s strength, their spin bowling but expressed his confidence in his team’s world-class batting lineup.

“Afghanistan have quality spinners, but we have a world-class batting,” said Agha.

“The first target is to win the series against Afghanistan and then the Asia Cup,” he concluded.

The three-match ODI series between Pakistan and Afghanistan is scheduled to be played on August 22, 24 and 26. The first two ODI will take place in Hambantota, while the third game will be played in Colombo.

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