Salman Agha, the captain of Pakistan, suffered a minor neck spasm while preparing for the 2025 Asia Cup. Nonetheless, the team’s management is still certain he will be able to lead in the upcoming crucial games.
Salman Agha was absent for a large portion of the Wednesday, September 10 training session at the ICC Academy in Dubai. After complaining of neck ache, the all-rounder was spotted with a bandage on his neck.
Despite travelling with the team, Salman Agha reportedly skipped the warm-ups and light football drills as the other players went through a rigorous training regimen, according to reports on Geo News. Concerns were raised in the camp over his lack of involvement, particularly in light of the highly anticipated match against India on Sunday.
However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) downplayed the worries, claiming that the problem is small and only preventative. The team management is still optimistic that the 31-year-old would be healthy enough to captain Pakistan in the upcoming pivotal Asia Cup 2025 matches. He is anticipated to return to full-fledged training soon.
To date, the Lahore native has participated in 21 Test matches, 41 ODIs, and 25 T20Is. He has amassed 489 runs with a strike rate of 116.43 and an average of 27.17 in the shortest format. He has taken four wickets with the ball at a respectable economy rate of 7.50.
Along with India, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan is assigned to Group A. On Friday, September 12, the Men in Green will play their first Asia Cup match against Oman at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. This will be the two teams’ first T20I cricket encounter.
As head coach, Mike Hesson is leading Pakistan through a period of reconstruction. Salman Agha has been named the T20 captain, succeeding Mohammad Rizwan as captain.
“We started playing cricket a few months ago, and I believe we are doing well. Salman stated during the pre-series news conference on Tuesday, September 9, “Everyone is really excited, things are coming together, and as a team we are playing good cricket and looking forward to this tournament.”