Salman Ali Agha had to face tough questions in the post-match press conference after Pakistan got knocked out of T20 World Cup 2026 despite surviving Sri Lanka scare in their last Super 8 clash on February 28. Pakistan did win the match, but were eliminated midway through the match as they failed to contain Sri Lanka at 147 while defending a target of 213.
Will Salman Agha be sacked as Pakistan captain after T20 World Cup exit?
Right after the match, Salman Agha turned up to take the bullets in the post-match presser. One of the journalists directed a straightforward question towards the Pakistan skipper and asked:
"Do you think you are Pakistan's dummy captain? Will you yourself relinquish Pakistan's captaincy or are you waiting for PCB's decision?"
The 32-year-old didn't shy away from the query and said:
"If I don't answer this question it will be disrespect. It will be an emotional call if I take the decision straightaway now. So, I will go home and think about it before taking a decision about captaincy."
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The team faced a daunting scenario; requiring a massive victory to surpass New Zealand’s superior Net Run Rate and join group leaders England in the final four, Pakistan needed to restrict Sri Lanka to 147 runs or fewer.
Their innings started spectacularly as Sahibzada Farhan (100) and Fakhar Zaman (84) constructed a record-breaking 176-run opening stand. This explosive partnership powered the Men in Green to a formidable total of 212/8. Concurrently, in Group 1, India dramatically ignited their own semifinal hopes by racking up a massive 256/4 against Zimbabwe in Chennai, setting the stage for a virtual knockout against the West Indies.
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“It was always challenging after losing the toss because of dew. Could've been a different story had we won the toss. Dew was a factor. We couldn't execute plans. Usman [Tariq] had an off-day, it can happen. We couldn't bat well throughout the tournament. If Farhan had more support, it'd have been better," Agha said at the post-match presentation.
“The middle order has been a problem for a few years now, we'll have to look at that. Couldn't finish the way we wanted to. We batted well for 18 overs, opposition did well in the other two,” he added.
England, New Zealand seal T20 World Cup semis spots
With the conclusion of Super 8 Group 2 matches, England and New Zealand have officially secured their spots in the semifinals of the 2026 T20 World Cup. They now await the results of Sunday's crucial Group 1 finale to determine their opponents in the knockout stage. The final two spots in the last four will be decided based on the outcome of the matches involving South Africa, India, and the West Indies. Depending on those results, two of these three teams will advance to join England and New Zealand in the semifinals.