Salman Ali Agha also known as Agha Salman is a wily allrounder who represents Pakistan in ODI and Tests.
RISE OF AGHA SALMAN:
Agha Salman Started His Cricketing career back in 2013. In February 2013, He made his first-class debut after playing for Lahore’s Apollo Cricket Club for many years
Later on In April 2018, He was named to Federal Areas` squad for Pakistan Cup 2018
In June 2018, he was selected to play for the Edmonton Royals in the players’ draft for the Inaugural season of the Global T20 Canada tournament. He was the leading run-scorer in the tournament for the Edmonton Royals, with 218 runs in six matches.
In September 2019, he was named in Southern Punjab’s squad for the 2019–20 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy tournament. In October 2021, he was named to the Pakistan Shaheens squad for their tour of Sri Lanka
INTERNATIONAL DEBUT:
The 29-year-old made his international debut In June 2022, he was named in Pakistan’s Test squad for their two-match series in Sri Lanka.
Agha Salman made his ODI Debut In August 2022 when he was named to Pakistan’s ODI squad for their tour of the Netherlands.
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AGHA SALMAN – A REMARKABLE ALLROUNDER?
In the previous 6 months or so, the role of Agha Salman is becoming very evident in the team. In December 2022 during the New Zealand tour to Pakistan. In the first test, Agha Salman batted wonderfully well with the tail and hit his maiden Test hundred as Pakistan posted 438 in their first innings against the BlackCaps in Karachi. He usually plays at number 6 or 7 in tests and keeping in view the fact that at that time mostly tailenders are batting on the crease the 29-year-old averages 34 in 14 innings including 3 fifties and a century.
In the Second test, Agha was asked to shoulder an unusually heavy bowling workload. His early efforts offered little to get excited about. He bowled tidily enough, and there looked to be a turn on offer. In that spell, Agha Salman managed to get 4 big wickets including Devin Conway, Daryl Mitchel and Henry Nicholls.
Agha Salman has a terrific record in ODIs as well when it comes to no 6 batters as he averages 48 in 10 innings with a strike rate of 108. He is a pretty handy batsman and will be very handy for Pakistan in the upcoming ODI World Cup, which will be played in India.
WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE SALMAN?
Well, it’s too early to tout him as a regular second spinner. His Test average still reads 56.60, and his first-class average is still above 40, with 100 wickets in 84 games the ratio of a part-timer. But he at least makes more sense on Pakistan’s side, as an insurance for when the conditions are misread and an option to turn to when the rest are struggling.
He could at times be a top-six option, and if Pakistan is comfortable with their keeper in the top six, Salman if offering some value with the ball, works at No.7 too. Babar will also have gained clues about how best to use his off-spinner, who benefitted from an extended spell, rather than being asked to fill in when no one else wanted to bowl.
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