Pakistan's Aim Is To Play Fearless, High-Risk Cricket: Salman Agha

Pakistan shocked the world today (March 4) when they dropped their skipper Mohammad Rizwan and senior batter Babar Azam from the T20 International (T20I) squad for their tour of New Zealand. Salman Agha was appointed the new T20I captain, and in his first statement as the new skipper, he reveals why the senior players were dropped and young blood was infused into the side.

“I am honoured to lead Pakistan, but it’s also a challenge,” Agha said after his appointment. 

“We have picked a largely young squad because we need to play fearless, high-risk cricket. Failures will come, but these players will have our full support and the freedom to express themselves.”

He also backed the decision to appoint Shadab Khan as the vice-captain of the side, saying that his aggressive mindset will be handy in taking the team forward. “Having Shadab Khan as vice-captain is beneficial, as we share the same aggressive mindset and will work together to develop attacking players,” Agha said.

“Shadab’s experience is crucial. In modern cricket, you need players who can contribute with both bat and ball."

Pakistan head coach Aaqib Javed said that Rizwan and Babar's return to the T20I squad is not ruled out, especially with the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup coming up.

“We are focusing on a pool of 24-25 players with an eye on the Asia Cup and the 2026 T20 World Cup, rather than just the 15-16 selected for this tour,” he said. 

Pakistan will get their New Zealand tour underway in Christchurch on March 16. The three T20Is will be followed by as many One-Day Internationals (ODIs).