Salman Ali Agha Faces Backlash After Asia Cup Final Defeat Against India

After the defeat against India, a debate has been circulating among Pakistan fans that Salman Ali Agha should be removed from captaincy and Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam should be brought back into the team. However, Salman Ali Agha does not agree with this notion.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Agha said that the absence of senior batters was not the reason behind Pakistan’s poor performance in the final.

After the defeat in Dubai, reporters asked Salman Ali Agha whether he felt the team missed the experience of senior players like Babar and Rizwan. His response was very clear:

“Pakistan has already proven itself as a balanced T20 side over the past few months.”

He further explained that this same team had been consistently scoring 170–180 runs. Before the Asia Cup, they were playing solid cricket — winning the tri-series and even reaching the Asia Cup final. “We can’t single out any one player,” Agha added. “I still believe this is a good team.”

This was the same squad that defeated Bangladesh to book a spot in the final, but against India in a high-pressure clash, the batting lineup completely collapsed. Without Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan struggled in nearly every match, while Agha himself endured a poor run of form with the bat. In the final, the same story repeated — Pakistan lost 9 wickets for just 33 runs, handing India a decisive advantage.

Debate Over Senior Players’ Return

Pakistan’s batting order and the role of senior stars remain a hot topic, and the debate is expected to intensify ahead of the upcoming T20I series against South Africa. Reports suggest that the PCB may recall Babar Azam, while Rizwan could also return given Mohammad Haris’ performance in the Asia Cup — whether Salman Ali Agha agrees or not.

For now, Agha insists that the current squad has enough talent and balance to compete strongly without depending on the old stars.

Social Media Backlash Against Agha’s Statement

Following the post-match press conference, Salman Ali Agha’s comments sparked a storm on social media. Fans and analysts accused him of working on an “anti-Babar agenda,” pointing out his strike rate of just 110 as captain.

One viral post read:
“With a strike rate of 110 he should be ashamed of saying these words.”

Adding fuel to the debate, Pakistani actress Madiha also joined in, posting:
“Remove Salman Ali Agha and make Babar Azam captain again.”

The discussion around Agha’s future as captain continues to grow, as fans remain divided over whether Pakistan should rely on its current young core or bring back the experienced duo of Babar and Rizwan