Mohsin Naqvi and Salman Ali Agha (Image credit: Agencies)
New Delhi: Salman Ali Agha is set to be removed as Pakistan T20 captain, regardless of the team’s performance in the ongoing T20 World Cup, while some senior players may have played their last matches for the national team during this tournament, news agency PTI reported on Saturday.According to a source within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), chairman Mohsin Naqvi is “unhappy” with the way Pakistan’s campaign has developed.
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“Naqvi is not happy at all because this time the selectors, the team management and his close assistants in the board of directors have assured him that the team is on track to perform well in the World Cup,” the source said on Saturday.The source added that Naqvi has made his decision to relieve Salman from the T20 captaincy and will have frank discussions with head coach Mike Hesson and the selectors regarding the future of some players.“Salman, Babar Azam, Usman Khan and a few others are likely to see the curtains on their T20 international careers after the World Cup,” the source said.Names being considered to replace Salman as captain include Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi.The source also noted that Hesson had advised Naqvi even before the World Cup that Pakistan needed to integrate young players and adapt to the demands of modern T20 cricket.
“So, after the World Cup, you can expect big changes in Pakistan’s T20 squad,” the source said.Veteran Babar Azam, who has played 145 T20 internationals, may have played his last T20 match unless he produces a dramatic performance against Sri Lanka and in the knockout stages, should Pakistan progress.