Salman Agha to be sacked as captain if Pakistan fail to reach semi-final of T20 World Cup 2026; PCB identifies new skipper

Salman Agha is captaining Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2026.

Pakistan captain Salman Agha is facing a lot of flak from fans and pundits following the defeat against England in the previous game of Super Eight Round in T20 World Cup 2026. Pakistan lost to England by two wickets in the clash, which took place at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on February 24.

Pakistan made a brilliant start while defending a 164-run total, dismissing three batters inside powerplay. However, they remained helpless against Harry Brook, who hammered a match-winning century to propel England to victory as well as the semi-finals.

Moreover, Agha did not utilise the in-form spinner Usman Tariq wisely, which became a massive talking point. The mystery spinner was brought late in the eighth over despite England being under pressure at the start. He dismissed Tom Banton on his very first ball and conceded just five runs.

However, he was taken out of the attack and returned in the 12th over, when Brook had already turned the course of the match with his brilliant batting. Moreover, Agha is also facing severe criticisms over his batting as he has only scored 60 runs in five innings.

Shadab Khan to replace Salman Agha as captain if Pakistan fail to qualify for semi-finals- Reports

According to a report by Revsportz, Agha might be sacked as captain if Pakistan fail to book a berth in the semi-finals of T20 World Cup 2026. Shadab Khan is likely to replace him for the role. The report also states that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will not change the captain immediately, but after the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026.

“Look, after the World Cup, Pakistan will go to Bangladesh for a three-match ODI series and then the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will start. Fan anger will die down by then. I think they will wait until the end of the PSL before taking a call,” a source was quoted as saying by RevSportz.

Notably, Agha was named as the captain in March after Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were dropped from the New Zealand series.

Meanwhile, Pakistan are still active in the semi-final race but their qualification largely depends on the outcomes of other games. If New Zealand win against Sri Lanka and England, then Salman Agha & Co. will be eliminated from the tournament.

If New Zealand win one of their remaining two matches and Pakistan defeat Sri Lanka on February 28, then Net Run Rate (NRR) will come into picture. Also, Sri Lanka will book a berth in the semis if they win their next two matches. England have already sealed a semi-final spot from Group 2.

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