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Pakistan captain Salman Agha made several questionable calls in the T20 Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours clash against India on September 21. Their top-order finally clicked but Pakistan failed to press on the advantage and managed to post 171/5, a par total at Dubai Cricket Stadium which was chased down by India with seven balls to spare and six wickets in hand. Following Pakistan’s second consecutive defeat within a week, former pacer Shoaib Akhtar came down heavily on skipper Agha for making wrong decisions.
“I really don’t understand what the management is thinking. Wrong decisions are being made repeatedly. The middle order isn’t planned properly, and the powerplay isn’t being utilized effectively," Akhtar told Tapmad.
“Bowlers are also not being used wisely. There was no coordination, the lines and lengths were poor—starting with a bad bouncer, and then things just kept getting worse," he added.
Akhtar shows no mercy to Salman
Akhtar went on to question Agha’s place in the team. He scored 17 runs from 13 balls.
“Salman ko khud nahi pata wo kya kaptaani kar raha hai (Salman himself doesn’t know what he’s been doing). He is the weakest link. Does he even deserve the spot he is playing at? What does he do?
"He could be good boy but what does he produce? Does he perform like Tilka Varma or Hardik Pandya? On top of that, he takes wrong decisions that further put the team in trouble," Akhtar said.
So far, Agha has scored just 40 runs from four innings in the ongoing tournament at a strike rate of 75.57. His T20I career strike rate of 111.83 is far from impressive.
Akhtar slams team selection
Akhtar is not happy with the team management for picking a playing eleven that does not feature Hasan Nawaz or Mohammad Wasim Jnr. In the Super Fours clash, Hasan Nawaz was replaced by Hussain Talat who scored just 10 runs from 11 balls.
“Players who can actually win matches for Pakistan—like Hasan Nawaz or Wasim Junior—are left out. Instead, players who neither justify their position nor contribute meaningfully are given opportunities," the 50-year-old said.
“The team is paying the price for the captain and management’s repeated mistakes. And all the blame, ultimately, lies with the management," he added.
After second consecutive loss to India, Pakistan will face Sri Lanka in their must-win game on September 23 at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi.
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