Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s T20 captain Salman Ali Agha is considering taking a break from the shortest format to better prepare for next year’s ODI World Cup and the upcoming World Test Championship cycle. Having played 23 Tests, 50 ODIs and 52 T20Is, he made it clear that the 50-over World Cup is his top priority.“The World Cup is a long way to go, but yes, one has to think about managing one’s schedule and workload. If I feel it (break) can help me in preparing for the World Cup and Tests, I will do it,” Salman told reporters.
The ODI World Cup will be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in October-November next year. Australia enter the tournament as defending champions after defeating India in the 2023 final.Salman’s recent T20I form with the bat has also come under scrutiny. Despite captaining Pakistan in the format for the past year, he has struggled for consistency. Batting at number three in the T20 World Cup, he failed to deliver as Pakistan missed out on a semifinal spot.Speaking about the Pakistan Super League, Salman highlighted its value in spotting young talent but warned against fast-tracking players directly into the national side.“I would rather like to see a process where we identify strong young talent in the PSL and send them to play in domestic cricket and then review their performances and decide if they are ready for international cricket,” he added.He also pointed out that several players in the past were picked for international cricket purely on the basis of their PSL performances but could not succeed at the highest level.
