Salman Mirza Archives

Salman wary of ‘critical situation’ before Sri Lanka clash

Pakistan left-arm fast bowler Salman Mirza is hopeful ahead of their last Super Eight fixture in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 against Sri Lanka, scheduled for Saturday, February 28, at the Pallekele International Stadium.

Speaking ahead of their last Super Eight fixture against Sri Lanka, Mirza acknowledged the difficulty of securing a spot in the final four.

“It’s a critical situation as reaching the semi-final is not in our control,” Mirza told reporters

Pakistan need to rely on the ongoing fixture between New Zealand. A win for the BlackCaps would end the Green Shirts’ hopes of reaching the semi-final.

If the Three Lions managed to beat England by a hefty margin, then Pakistan would have to seal a big win over Sri Lanka to ensure qualification.

“But if we reach the semi-final, we have the capability to do better,” he added.

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He mentioned Pakistan’s loss against England, lamenting that if he had taken two wickets in the last over, the situation would have been entirely different.

“We needed to win the match against England, and that defeat has given us this position,” he recalled.

“I had the opportunity to become a hero in the final over, but I couldn’t grab that one.”

The 32-year-old said that such opportunities do not come every day and admitted that had he taken two wicket, they would have won the match, but it was not meant to be.

“Such opportunities do not come your way every day. Had I taken two wickets, we would have won that match, but it was not to be,” he concluded.

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Salman Mirza reflects on match-winning spell against South Africa

LAHORE: Pakistan’s left-arm pacer Salman Mirza has shared his thoughts after an outstanding display that powered Pakistan to a comfortable win over South Africa.

Pakistan outplayed South Africa in all departments during the second T20I here at the packed Gaddafi Stadium.

The home side romped to a nine-wicket win, courtesy of Salman Mirza’s opening spell and Saim Ayub’s whirlwind knock.

Salman ripped South Africa’s top order and finished with three wickets in four overs while giving away only 14.

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Speaking in the post-match press conference, Salman, who was included in place of Shaheen Afridi, credited the bowling coach for giving him the right plan to execute on a grassy pitch.

“Obviously, when you are in the team, there are four to five bowlers, and you have to be prepared. It does not matter if you are a frontline bowler because you have to be prepared,” he said on his inclusion in the playing XI.

“I’ve worked a lot with our bowling coach, Aash [ Ashley Noffke], on how to bowl effectively according to the conditions and how to execute our plans properly,” the 31-year-old told reporters.

Regarding his bowling to South Africa’s batters for the first time, he admitted that the visitors are less familiar with him and emphasized different bowling plans.

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“I wouldn’t say I’ve been exposed. It depends on how the pitch behaves tomorrow and what the match situation is. You always have a Plan A, and if that doesn’t work, you’re ready with other plans. Everything depends on the given day.”

At last, he dedicated his player for the match award to his mother and thanked her for prayers.

“I dedicate this performance to my mother. I believe it’s all because of her prayers that such performances are possible,” he concluded.

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Saim, bowlers guide Pakistan to victory over South Africa

LAHORE: Saim Ayub’s sparkling half-century and a clinical bowling performance helped Pakistan rout South Africa in the second T20I here under lights at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday.

Pakistan chased down a mere 111-run target in only 13.1 overs on the loss of just one wicket.

Saim Ayub starred with the bat, scoring a brisk 71* off just 38 balls. The southpaw hit five sixes and half a dozen fours in his knock.

In pursuit of the target, Sahizbada Farhan and Saim Ayub provided a 54-run start in only 6.4 overs. Farhan departed after hitting three sixes in his 28 from 23 balls.

Following the wicket, Babar Azam arrived at the crease in front of his home crowd and opened his account with an elegant cover drive. On the contrary, Saim continued on his merry way and reached his half-century.

On the first ball of the 11th over, Babar reached a major T20I milestone and surpassed Rohit Sharma to become the highest run scorer in T20Is.

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He remained unbeaten with 11* from 18 balls, and Saim finished the match with a six to level the three-match series 1-1.

For South Africa, there was nothing much in the bowling like batting as Corbin Bosch remained the solitary wicket taker.

Earlier, Salman Mirza’s devastating three-wicket spell, coupled with Faheem Ashraf’s four-wicket haul, helped Pakistan skittle South Africa for a modest total.

Put into bat first, South Africa were bowled out for a mere 110 in 19.2 overs.

Replacing Shaheen Afridi in the lineup, Salman Mirza wreaked havoc with the new ball and tore through South Africa’s top order. The left-armer knocked out the previous match’s half-century Reeza Hendricks for a duck on the second ball of the match.

Naseem Shah from the other end also supported him well and removed Quinton de Kock for seven. As a result, the visitors were reduced to 12-2 in two overs.

Salman continued with his outstanding bowling and sent back Tony de Zorzi (7), in the third over and Matthew Breetzke (5) in the fourth to leave the Proteas reeling at 23-4.

The early wickets never allowed South Africa to recover, despite a brief counterattack from top scorer Dewald Brevis. He made 25 from 16 before getting caught on Faheem Ashraf’s bowling. The right-hander hit three sixes in his eye-catching knock.

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The right-hander remained the only silver lining in a shambolic batting display, which folded their innings before 20 overs.

Salman Mirza returned with excellent figures of 3-14 in four overs, while Faheem Ashraf, who did not bowl in the opening match, scalped four wickets in 3.2 overs while giving away 23.

Playing XIs

South Africa: Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock (wk), Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Matthew Breetzke, Donovan Ferreira (c), George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Nandre Burger, Ottneil Baartman, Lungi Ngidi

Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Salman Agha(c), Usman Khan(w), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed

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Pakistan pacer Salman Mirza praises captain Salman Ali Agha

DUBAI: Pakistan’s left-arm pacer Salman Mirza praised T20I captain Salman Ali Agha, expressing confidence in his leadership.

Mirza spoke to the media on Sunday after training for the upcoming tri-nation series, which involves Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Reflecting on the recent camp and practice matches, Mirza said the squad had used the time well to adapt to conditions and sharpen their plans.

“Alhamdulillah, the sessions have gone really well. We’ve had quality practice and match time, which has helped us settle into the environment. This opportunity will benefit us a lot moving forward,” he said.

Clarifying his role in the side, the 31-year-old dismissed suggestions of being an all-rounder.

“I don’t see myself as an all-rounder. Yes, I can bat a bit, but my primary role is bowling. That said, if the match situation demands it, I should be able to finish games with the bat as well,” he added.

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Mirza also praised Pakistan’s T20I captain Salman Ali Agha, hailing his calm temperament and positive approach.

“Salman Agha is very composed. Even in tough moments, he avoids putting pressure on players,” he said.

“He discusses issues later in a constructive way, which is a great quality for a leader. Every captain has a starting point, and though this is his first assignment, we’re confident about him.”

Looking ahead to the Asia Cup, the pacer brushed aside the hype around the Pakistan-India clash, stressing equal focus on all opponents.

“Pressure games like India help you grow, but it’s not just them. Other teams are equally competitive, and we’re preparing for everyone. Our preparations are on track, and Insha’Allah, you’ll see good results,” Mirza said.

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Salman Mirza shares reaction to Pakistan squad selection for Tri-Series, Asia Cup

Left-arm fast bowler Salman Mirza has reacted to his inclusion in Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming Tri-Series and Asia Cup 2025.

The pacer, who recently made his debut in the T20I series against Bangladesh, took to his social media handle to express his excitement.

“Shukar Alhamdulillah,” Salman Mirza wrote in his Instagram post while sharing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official squad banner.

Salman Mirza gained attention for his outstanding performances in the playoffs of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10, where he represented the defending champions Lahore Qalandars.

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A post shared by Salman Mirza (@salmanmirza760)

The pacer hailing from Lahore took nine wickets in four matches, including a three-wicket haul in the all-important do-or-die clash against Islamabad United.

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Salman Mirza followed his exceptional performance in the series against Bangladesh, where he scalped seven wickets in three matches at an excellent economy rate of 5.21.

Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a 17-member squad featuring a blend of youngsters and experienced players.

Salman Ali Agha will lead the side with experienced players such as Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Haris Rauf included in the squad.

Additionally, young talents Saim Ayub, Khushdil Shah, and Hussain Talat are also part of the squad.

The team will be in action in the tri-series against Afghanistan and the UAE, which is scheduled to run from August 29 to September 7.

The series will be held entirely at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium and will see each team face the others twice, culminating in the final on September 7.

The series will serve as a crucial tune-up for the Asia Cup 2025, also to be held in the UAE from September 9 to 28 in the T20 format.

Pakistan squad for the UAE tri-series and Asia Cup

Salman Agha (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim

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WATCH: Salman Mirza makes his debut for Pakistan in first T20I against Bangladesh

MIRPUR: Pacer Salman Mirza is making his debut in the opening T20I of the three-match series against Bangladesh here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Sunday.

Pakistan’s opening batter, Fakhar Zaman, presented Mirza with his cap ahead of the toss. The team players and support staff expressed their best wishes for Salman Mirza.

Fellow players and support staff expressed their appreciation for Salman Mirza’s good results.

The left-arm pacer was named in the T20I squad on the back of strong performances in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10.

Salman Mirza played a crucial role in the latter part of the tournament, contributing significantly to the Lahore Qalandars’ title-winning campaign. In PSL, he took nine wickets in four matches, including a three-wicket haul in the all-important do-or-die clash against Islamabad United.

For Pakistan, the series marks their first away assignment under the newly appointed head coach Mike Hesson.

The national squad, which arrived in Dhaka earlier this week, held its first training session at the Shere Bangla Stadium on Friday, after a rest day on Thursday.

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Batting, bowling, and fielding drills were conducted under the watchful eyes of the coaching staff.

The series will also serve as a rematch of sorts, following a clean 3-0 sweep by Pakistan over Bangladesh at home back in May. However, conditions in Dhaka are expected to be a different ball game altogether.

Head to Head:

Pakistan and Bangladesh have faced each other 22 times in T20Is, with Pakistan emerging victorious in 19 matches, while Bangladesh has secured victory on just three occasions.

Pakistan Playing XI

Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris (WK), Hasan Nawaz, Salman Agha(C), Mohammad Nawaz, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Abbas Afridi, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed

Bangladesh Playing XI

Parvez Hossain Emon, Tanzid Hasan, Litton Das (C/WK), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman

READ: Bangladesh win toss, bowl first against Pakistan in first T20I