Salman Ali Agha has expressed his optimism about leading Pakistan to victory in the 2026 T20 World Cup and has set his sights on winning the 2027 ODI World Cup as well. As the current T20I captain for Pakistan, Salman shared his aspirations during a podcast for the Pakistan Cricket Board, emphasizing his dream of securing both World Cup titles for his team.
While Salman leads the T20I side, Shaheen Shah Afridi currently serves as the captain of Pakistan’s ODI team. Looking ahead to the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next year, Salman provided insights into how Pakistan might structure their squad for the tournament.
Under Salman’s leadership, Pakistan has been in good form in the shortest format of the game, recently clinching victory in a home tri-series against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. Salman anticipates that most of the players from that successful series will form the core of the team for the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled to commence on February 7.
With just six matches remaining before the T20 World Cup, including three fixtures against Sri Lanka away in January, Pakistan is fine-tuning its preparations. The team, placed in Group A alongside rivals India, the USA, the Netherlands, and Namibia, aims to maintain consistency and avoid major changes leading up to the tournament.
The potential continuity in the squad will be encouraging news for former captain Babar Azam and key bowler Naseem Shah, who made comebacks during the tri-series after a period out of the team. Salman’s confidence in the team’s progress under his leadership has grown, fueling his ambition to guide Pakistan to their second T20 World Cup triumph, the first since 2009.
Reflecting on the team’s recent performances, Salman emphasized the importance of sustained momentum and development. As preparations intensify, Salman highlighted the value of experienced players understanding Sri Lankan conditions, which will also aid the newer members of the squad in gearing up for the World Cup challenge.
While acknowledging the positive trajectory of the team, Salman stressed the ongoing pursuit of improvement, aiming to elevate Pakistan’s cricketing standards to meet the expectations of fans and stakeholders. As the captaincy remains under his charge for the T20 World Cup, Salman looks forward to leading Pakistan in pursuit of their cricketing ambitions.