New Delhi: Pakistan T20 captain Salman Ali Agha is considering taking a break from the shortest format to better prepare for next year’s ODI World Cup and the upcoming World Test Championship cycle. After playing 23 Tests, 50 ODIs and 52 T20Is, he made it clear that the 50-over World Cup is his top priority.“The World Cup is a long way to go, but yes, one has to think about managing one’s schedule and workload. If I feel it (the break) can help me prepare for the World Cup and Tests, then I will do it,” Salman told reporters.
The ODI World Cup will be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in October-November next year. Australia entered the tournament as the defending champions after defeating India in the 2023 final.Salman’s recent T20I form with the bat has also come under scrutiny. Despite captaining Pakistan in the format for the past one year, he has struggled for consistency. Batting at number three in the T20 World Cup, he failed to deliver as Pakistan missed out on reaching the semi-finals.Speaking of Pakistan Super LeagueSalman highlighted the importance of scouting young talent but cautioned against inducting fast-tracking players directly into the national team.“I would love to see a process where we identify strong young talent. PSL And send them to play domestic cricket and then evaluate their performance and decide whether they are ready for international cricket,” he added.He also pointed out that in the past several players were selected for international cricket purely on the basis of their PSL performances but could not succeed at the highest level.
