Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Salman Ali Agha is set to be removed as captain of the Pakistan T20 team, regardless of how the side performs in the ongoing T20 World Cup, while some senior players might have played their last matches for the national side 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 unfolded.
“Naqvi is not happy at all because this time he was assured by the selectors, team management and his close aides in the board that the team was set to do well in the World Cup,” the source said on Saturday.The source added that Naqvi has made up his mind to relieve Salman of his T20 captaincy and will hold candid discussions with head coach Mike Hesson and the selectors regarding the future of certain players.“Salman, Babar Azam, Usman Khan and a few others will probably see curtains on their T20 international career 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 younger players and adapt to the demands of modern T20 cricket.“So, after the World Cup, you can expect major changes in the Pakistan T20 set-up,” the source said.Veteran Babar Azam, who has played 145 T20 internationals, may have played his final T20 unless he delivers a dramatic performance against Sri Lanka and in the knockout stages, should Pakistan advance.
