Salman Ali Agha (L) and Mike Hesson (R) (Source: AFP)
Pakistan cricket team's captain Salman Ali Agha and head coach Mike Hesson are under the scanner after a humiliating result against the arch-rivals India for one more time in the T20 World Cup 2026. Salman Ali Agha's men didn't look competitive against India at any point throughout the entire game.
Alongside, out-of-form batter and former skipper, Babar Azam, once again fell on the receiving end of criticism after getting dismissed cheaply, scoring just five runs off seven balls.
In the same line of events, the former Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik targeted the head coach Mike Hesson and skipper Salman Ali Agha for failing to utilise Babar Azam and address the strike-rate concerns around him.
Shoaib Malik lashes out at Salman Ali Agha and Mike Hesson
Shoaib Malik went on to ask for the immediate sacking of captain Salman Ali Agha and coach Mike Hesson, for not having clarity of thought on Babar Azam’s batting position.
“If we look back a little, we used to say, Babar had an issue with strike rate when he used to bat in the opening slot,” said Shoaib Malik during a show on ARY News.
“It makes me laugh if a batter is struggling with the strike rate concern, you made it the issue and now you are making him bat at number four. The person who decided this, should be sacked immediately,” he added later.
Speaking of Babar Azam, he has been in a miserable run of form with the bat, scoring just one half-century in the last five innings. It also includes his three knocks of 2, 15, and 5.
His strike rate has been at the centre of criticism in the last couple of international tournaments, as he has failed on numerous occasions to take Pakistan over the line during tough run chases.
Pakistan’s T20 World Cup misery continues against India
Pakistan's T20 World Cup misersy against India continued with the eighth defeat against the latter in the prestigious cricket biennial. With a massive 61-run defeat in the 27th game of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026, India have changed the scoreline from 7-1 to 8-1 against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup.
In the high-profile game, played at the R Premadasa Stadium, the Men in Blue dominated the entire game except for an early first-innings blow in the first over in the form of Abhishek Sharma.
It was Ishan Kishan’s sensational knock of 77 runs off just 40 balls, with 10 fours and three sixes, that played a pivotal role in taking the defending champions to a total of 175 runs for the loss of seven wickets in the first innings. Pakistan's Saim Ayub scalped three wickets for 25 runs in his four overs.
While defending the target, Indian bowlers crushed Pakistan’s entire batting attack, bundling them out at the score of just 114 runs in 18 overs.
Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, and Varun Chakravarthy picked two wickets each, alongside a wicket each bagged by Kuldeep Yadav and Tilak Varma. Ishan Kishan won the 'Player of the Match' award for his game-changing knock.
