Pakistan T20I captain, Salman Ali Aga, who is currently playing for Karachi Kings in the ongoing Pakistan Super League 2026 (PSL 2026), is now seriously thinking about taking a short break from the shorter format of the game amid his consistent struggles with the bat.
Salman Ali Aga is currently going through a bad phase in the T20 format, due to which he is under pressure. Despite leading the Pakistan cricket team for more than a year, there has been no significant improvement in his batting. He is struggling badly in the ongoing PSL 2026.
Salman Ali Aga’s T20 struggle continues in PSL 2026 too
The experienced all-rounder has scored only 84 runs in eight matches for Karachi Kings. Before PSL 2-26, Salman’s struggles during the T20 World Cup 2026 also disappointed everyone. In that mega event, he could score only 60 runs in seven matches.
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Pakistan’s failure to reach the semi-finals added more pressure to him as captain. However, things look very different when it comes to ODI cricket. In the recent ODI series in Bangladesh, Salman had an excellent performance with scores of 106, 64 and 5 in three innings.
Overall, he looks more confident and organized in ODI cricket, as he plays better when he gets time to build his innings. There is a view that the 50-over format seems to suit the captain’s style more, and then again the ICC World Cup 2027 is scheduled for next year.
Salman Ali Aga considering T20 break to focus on ODI World Cup 2027 and WTC
Salman has openly admitted that modern cricket is becoming very busy and players keep moving from one format to another, hence it is very important for the players to manage fitness, workload and mental freshness. This made him think about choosing the format.
Looking at the entire situation, Salman is thinking of taking a break from T20 cricket as he wants to focus completely on the upcoming ICC World Cup 2027 and ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. These two ICC events are now Salman’s main priority.
“The World Cup is still a long way off, but yes, one has to think about managing one’s schedule and workload. If I feel a break from T20 can help me prepare for the World Cup and Tests, I will definitely do that,” Salman Ali Aga told reporters at the PSL 2026, as quoted by PTI.
Salman Ali Aga warns against PSL-based selection trend in Pakistan
Meanwhile, the Pakistan captain has expressed concern over how players are being selected for the national team primarily on the basis of PSL performances. He believes that the PSL is a good platform to identify talent, but it should not be the only route to international cricket.
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This all-rounder believes that players should prove themselves in domestic cricket also before getting a place in the national team. Salman believes that the traditional domestic system helps players learn more and be better prepared for international pressure.
He signed off by saying, “I would like to see a process where we identify strong young talents in the PSL and send them to play domestic cricket and then review their performances and decide if they are ready for international cricket.”
