I want to be a complete all-rounder, but batting remains my top priority: Salman Ali Agha
I want to be a complete all-rounder, but batting remains my top priority: Salman Ali Agha
Sports Link Exclusive ; Pakistan’s T20I captain Salman Ali Agha has reiterated that while he is working hard to contribute to all departments of the game, batting remains his primary focus and top priority, and it is the role he values the most in the national setup.
Speaking to this correspondent during a media interaction, Salman was asked to clarify whether he views himself primarily as a batter, bowler or a genuine all-rounder. In response, the 30-year-old all-rounder explained: “I love batting. Helping my team with the bat and guiding Pakistan to crucial victories is my top priority. Bowling comes after that. I enjoy contributing with the ball as well, especially when the team needs breakthroughs,” he said.
Salman added that he continues to work on refining his bowling skills to strengthen his all-round credentials, but his primary responsibility remains scoring valuable runs in pressure situations. “Of course, I want to grow into a complete all-rounder who can make an impact in both departments. But if I had to define my role, I would say batting is what I value the most. It’s where I feel I can serve Pakistan best,” he asserted.
Salman has emerged as a key middle-order batter and a reliable off-spinner in Pakistan’s limited-overs setup, and his leadership in the ongoing T20I series is seen as an important step in the team’s build-up towards the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
Agha said that the national team would continue with the attacking cricket until the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, set to be played in India and Sri Lanka in the February-March window. “As I said earlier, our strategy is to analyse the stats of each ground we play at and [when we bat] we try to breach the par score. It’s still the same strategy and it will continue until the T20 World Cup.”
He added: “So, we just have to look at the par score of a venue and try to score around 15 runs more than that so that our bowling attack can benefit from it. Similarly, when we bowl first, we try to bowl the opposition out below the par score to support our batting unit.”
It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan will bolster their preparations for next year’s T20 World Cup with a three-match home series against South Africa, scheduled to get underway here on Tuesday. The remaining two fixtures of the series, however, will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on October 31 and November 1, respectively.
Pakistan Squad for South Africa T20Is: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wk) and Usman Tariq.
