Shoaib Akhtar Criticizes Salman Agha’s Captaincy After Pakistan’s Asia Cup Loss to India

Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has strongly criticized captain Salman Agha following Pakistan’s defeat against India in the Asia Cup 2025. Akhtar openly questioned Agha’s leadership and his place in the team, calling him the “weakest link” of the side.

During an appearance on PTV Sports, Akhtar said, “I am very surprised by the coach (Mike Hesson). As for the captain, he doesn’t know anything anyway. What is he captaining? He is the weakest link in the team.” He compared Agha’s performance to India’s middle-order players like Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma, suggesting Agha falls short of the standards required at that level.

Akhtar also criticized Pakistan’s overall team selection. He argued that young talents like opener Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Wasim Jr. should have been given opportunities. “Wrong decision not to play Hasan Nawaz – he can win matches for you. Instead, they picked inexperienced names,” Akhtar said. He highlighted poor batting decisions during the match, pointing out that Pakistan could have scored significantly more in the middle overs if certain players had performed better.

The former pacer questioned Pakistan’s bowling strategies as well. He criticized the use of part-timer Saim Ayub in the powerplay and said fast bowlers like Shaheen Afridi should have used short balls and bouncers more effectively against India’s openers, Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill. Akhtar added, “Against a batsman in form, that was poor planning.”

Despite the criticism, Akhtar acknowledged India’s game-changer Shivam Dube, who shifted the momentum in the middle overs, causing Pakistan’s batting to collapse under pressure.

In conclusion, Akhtar held both captain Salman Agha and coach Mike Hesson responsible for Pakistan’s poor performance. “The captain doesn’t justify his place in the team, and the coach is equally to blame. Wrong selection, wrong strategy, wrong execution – all of it falls on the management,” he said.

This harsh assessment highlights growing concerns over Pakistan’s leadership and strategy as the team looks to recover in the ongoing Asia Cup.