Captain Salman Agha has delivered a stark post-mortem on Pakistan’s T20 World Cup debacle, blaming mounting pressure for flawed strategies. Saturday’s 5-run edge over Sri Lanka proved bittersweet, with New Zealand snatching semifinal spots via superior run rate for 2026.
At the Candy presser, Agha was unsparing. ‘Tournament-wide, our play was disappointing,’ he admitted. ‘The middle order battled without success, over-relying on Sahibzada Farhan for scoring. Teammates failed to back him up.’
He zeroed in on decision-making lapses. ‘ICC events test you under pressure,’ Agha explained. ‘We need improved choices there—ours simply weren’t.’ No snap judgments yet, but overhaul talks intensify.
Sahibzada Farhan dazzled with 383 runs and dual hundreds, surpassing Kohli’s T20 World Cup haul. Shadab Khan managed 118 in six innings, but broader issues sank the ship.
Fan and expert fury targets persistence with struggling Babar Azam, scant play for Fakhar Zaman and Abrar Ahmed, erratic bowling plans, and lineup mismatches—barrages aimed at Agha’s leadership.
PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi fumes, sources say, eyeing Agha’s removal as T20 skipper. Careers of Babar, Usman Khan, Shadab, and Agha teeter. Coach Mike Hesson recommends youth infusion, modernizing the side to thrive in contemporary T20 cricket.