‘I don’t see any major changes in the T20 team before the World Cup’: Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: Pakistan T20 skipper Salman Ali Agha has ruled out any major changes to his team ahead of next year’s Men’s T20 World Cup, pointing out that the team has shown significant improvements after players were given specific roles in recent months.Go beyond borders with our YouTube channel. REGISTER NOW!Following their Asia Cup final defeat to India earlier this year, Pakistan made big changes to their squad, bringing in Abdul Samad, Babar Azam, Usman Khan and Naseem Shah. The revamped team then beat South Africa in a three-match T20I series at home and won a Tri series last month involving Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.
“In my personal opinion, I don’t see any major changes in the national T20 team before the World Cup,” Salman said on a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) podcast.“I think the current combination we have will be the one we have at the World Cup. Each player has been given a specific role in recent months and thanks to that the team has progressed,” he added.Pakistan is scheduled to play six T20 matches before the World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8 next year. Salman noted that the limited number of games makes it difficult to make any significant changes.“We have six T20 matches to play before the World Cup and I don’t think we can make big changes now in these remaining matches. We need to be consistent and move forward with the current combination,” he said.Experienced all-rounder Shadab Khan, who was vice-captain before injuring his shoulder in May and undergoing surgery in London, has now completed his rehabilitation and is set to make his return to the Big Bash League in Australia.Salman added that “the doors were not closed” for Shadab’s return to the team, highlighting his experience as a key asset.Looking further ahead, Salman revealed his biggest ambitions: not only winning the T20 World Cup, but also the 50-over World Cup in 2027.He also highlighted the value of Pakistan’s short series in Sri Lanka next month, saying it would be extremely beneficial as all the T20 World Cup matches will be played in the island nation.
