After a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign, discussions on Salman Ali Agha’s removal as captain and the appointment of all-rounder Shadab Khan as his replacement, are underway, former captain Shoaib Malik has claimed.

 

“Shadab Khan’s name has started coming up for T20 team leadership. We wanted to make him captain earlier, but he was injured,” Malik said during a TV programme as Agha’s “poor leadership” and “underwhelming individual performance” at the World Cup raises questions over his captaincy.

 

During the same programme, former Test cricketer Basit Ali also pointed out that Pakistan has seen many leaders in recent years. 

 

🚨 SHADAB KHAN T20 CAPTAIN 🚨

- Shoaib Malik said, "Discussions are ongoing about making Shadab Khan the next T20I Captain of Pakistan."pic.twitter.com/7tpTzrdPu7

— Rayham (@RayhamUnplugged) February 25, 2026

 

“Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shadab Khan have all led before, and now Salman Ali Agha is captain,” he said.

 

However, Basit warned that Shadab might not be the right choice, recalling Pakistan’s loss under his leadership against Afghanistan. “He led the team in that series, and we lost to a weaker side.”

 

Meanwhile, former wicketkeeping-batter Kamran Akmal questioned whether Agha was ready for captaincy in the first place. 

 

“In the Asia Cup and World Cup, his highest score as captain in 12 matches is 32 runs. PCB should appoint a captain who leads from the front and performs because when the captain shows performance, the team performs better too,” he said.

 

Sports analyst Najeeb Al-Hussain added that any captaincy decision must consider the player’s place in the team. He explained that rumors about Shadab becoming captain also surfaced earlier as a way to gauge public reaction. 

 

“This time too, the news is released to see the temperature,” he said.

 

It is worth noting that Shadab Khan’s own performance in the ongoing World Cup has also not been up to the mark. He has only taken five wickets in four matches while conceding 93 runs, raising further doubts about his suitability for leadership at this stage.