PCB Rejects Shadab’s Captaincy Proposal, Board Appoints Salman Ali Agha for New Zealand Tour

All-rounder Shadab Khan was initially in contention for Pakistan's T20I captaincy for the New Zealand tour. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) opted against it and instead appointed Salman Ali Agha as the skipper. Though he wasn’t given the captaincy, Shadab took on the role of vice-captain serving as Agha’s deputy for the series. Pakistan went on to lose the five-match T20I series 1-4.

A report from Cricket Pakistan suggests that Shadab Khan was initially considered for the T20I captaincy during Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand, but the PCB ultimately rejected the proposal. Shadab has prior leadership experience with Islamabad United in the PSL guided the team to a title victory last year excelling with both bat and ball and earning the Player of the Tournament award.

🚨PCB REJECTED SHADAB KHAN'S CAPTAINCY PROPOSAL🚨

- Shadab Khan was considered for the T20I captaincy during Pakistan's tour of New Zealand, but PCB rejected the proposal, prioritizing new players for the T20 WC 2026. Salman Ali Agha was appointed as captain. [Cricket Pakistan] pic.twitter.com/NpI9puZ3nx

— Salman (@SalmanAsif2007) April 1, 2025

Salman Ali Agha: Pakistan’s New T20 Captain for the New Zealand Tour

After discussions with the selectors, the PCB decided against appointing Shadab as captain. Before finalizing the squad for the New Zealand tour, the board consulted five mentors Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saqlain Mushtaq, Waqar Younis, Misbah-ul-Haq and Shoaib Malik. These mentors had previously faced criticism for their perceived role in Pakistan’s squad selection for the Champions Trophy, where the team was eliminated in the group stage. In response, they clarified that they were not involved in the final selection process.

The PCB gave an opportunity to new players before the next year's T20 World Cup and thus Salman Ali Agha was made captain. Agha was one of Pakistan’s most consistent batsmen and was also in good form. He was the team’s top scorer in the T20I series, scoring 167 runs at an average of 41.75 and a strike rate of 135.77 in five matches.

On the other hand, Shadab Khan had a poor series with only 58 runs and one wicket to his name, leaking runs at 11 per over. Despite the recent losses, the PCB still wants to give a chance to the young players and promote an aggressive style of play.