Sources report that Salman Agha will soon become captain of Pakistan’s all-format national cricket team, having impressed selectors and new white-ball head coach Mike Hesson.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) expects to announce the Salman Agha captaincy decision after the Eid holidays, signaling a major leadership overhaul.
Agha’s recent appointment as T20I captain for the Zimbabwe tour—initially made to provide Mohammad Rizwan with a rest—demonstrated his strategic clarity and determination. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, coach Gary Stead, and selector Aaqib Javed have all praised this decision. Sources indicate a strong consensus among key stakeholders that Agha should lead the team across all formats, potentially shifting the leadership away from Rizwan’s ODI role and Shan Masood’s position as Test captain. The PCB plans to issue an official announcement by mid-June 2025.
Mohammad Rizwan, the ODI captain, has faced friction with Aaqib Javed, particularly during Pakistan’s 3-0 ODI series loss in New Zealand, following a group-stage exit at the 2025 Champions Trophy. Rizwan’s public criticism of the limited selection authority has strained his favour with the PCB.
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Meanwhile, Shan Masood’s Test captaincy, marked by a 2-0 home loss to Bangladesh and a 1-1 West Indies draw, saw Pakistan rank ninth in the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC), per The News. Sources criticised Masood’s “timid” leadership and poor batting, paving the way for Agha.
Agha’s potential captaincy will debut in a three-match T20I series in Bangladesh on July 20-24, 2025, followed by five T20Is against the West Indies in the USA and Caribbean, per India.com. In Tests, Pakistan hosts South Africa for two matches in October 2025, with further WTC 2025-27 series against Sri Lanka, New Zealand (home), Bangladesh, West Indies, and England (away).
