RAWALPINDI: Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha backed wicketkeeper batter Usman Khan’s inclusion in the squad for the upcoming three-match home series against South Africa, scheduled to commence on Tuesday.
Agha, while addressing the pre-series press conference here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Monday, was asked to opine on the 30-year-old’s selection despite his below-par numbers in international cricket.
The Pakistan skipper, in response, threw his weight behind the decision, which he revealed was made in light of the playing conditions they anticipate in Sri Lanka during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
He further shared that the side wanted a wicketkeeper batter who could bat in the middle overs, especially against spin.
“We wanted a wicketkeeper who could bat in the middle order and middle overs, especially against spin, because I believe, going forward, we may get to play a lot of spin even before going to Sri Lanka,” Agha stated.
“Although his record in international cricket is not that good, you must have seen in the PSL that he bats really well in the middle overs against spin,” he added.
For the unversed, Usman Khan participated in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 as a foreign player, based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but his impressive performances in the season saw him being approached by the Pakistan management to represent the country of his birth ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024.
The right-handed batter accepted the offer and was subsequently added to the fold and eventually represented the Green Shirts in the mega event.
He has thus far played 19 T20Is and two ODIs for Pakistan, scoring 290 runs across formats with the help of one half-century, which came in the shortest format away against Australia last year.
His last international appearance for Pakistan came in April this year, when the Green Shirts toured New Zealand for a white-ball series.
