[EXCLUSIVE] "Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were dropped for strike rate, but Salman Ali Agha's strike rate is lower": Usama Mir

[The Bald Eagle]

In this exclusive interview, Pakistan leg-spinning all-rounder Usama Mir reflects on the Asia Cup 2025 final against India. He discusses the national team’s dramatic batting collapse and the controversies surrounding the tournament. The Worcestershire star opens up about the palpable disappointment in the dressing room, questions the tactical decisions and team selection, and gives his take on the Babar-Rizwan exclusion debate — and much more.

Key revelations include:

* On the batting collapse: Mir expressed his sheer disbelief and frustration over the team's dramatic batting collapse in the Asia Cup final 2025. He said, "I'm still thinking about how we managed that 113 for 1 to 146, all out".

* On the captain's dismissal: He offered a blunt and critical assessment of the captain's decision-making. He directly criticized the captain's shot selection, stating, "He was out of his mind. He's playing a check shot." So for him a poor and ill-judged shot from the leader was a key factor in the team's collapse.

* On selection hypocrisy: Mir exposed what he saw as flawed and inconsistent logic in the team's selection process. He questioned the reasoning behind removing certain players, asking, "Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were removed because of their strike rate?" He believes that the stated reasons for selection changes were not entirely genuine or were applied selectively.

* On the Nawaz paradox: Usama mocked the over-exaggerated praise for a player who was ultimately underutilized. He sarcastically questioned the high regard for Mohammad Nawaz, saying, "He is the best in the world? Don't over-exaggerate." This reflects his frustration with the team's failure to utilize a player's supposed talent and a critique of the hype surrounding him.

* On tactical confusion: The spinner expressed his bewilderment at the team's on-field tactics. He questioned a specific tactical decision that went against conventional cricket wisdom, stating, "Why can't a lefty bowl against a lefty batsman? It's international cricket."

* On politics in sport: Usama Mir took a clear and firm stance on the issue of political interference in sports, particularly in the context of a controversial post-match handshake incident. He was emphatic in his belief that the two should not mix, stating, "Politics should not be a part of sports. Any sports". This shows his strong conviction that politics and sports should remain separate to preserve the integrity of the game.

Watch the latest interview with Saj below:

 

[Savak]

I was hoping Salman Ali Agha would raise his game and prove the critics wrong. Boy how wrong I was. Did not look international quality at all in T-20 cricket during the Tri Series or the Asia Cup or even the Bangladesh series before it. Babar and Rizwan looked like Bradman in comparison to him.

 

[jnaveen1980]

 

[nish_mate]

Om the first point, if there was any other team there would have been calls for investigating the suspicious collapse, with PCT it's par for the course..

 

[Prince of Dorne]

This Agha guy is so horrendously bad even by Pak standards. Can't bat, scared to bowl, almost invisible in the field, no aura, no personality, no skill, terrible captain and thoroughly uninspiring as a leader. I honestly don't know what you people see in him.

 

[zahid01]

I would sack the person who made him a captain completely disastrous decision just like the one before t20 world cup removing shaeen and making babar the captain again

 

[hks222]

Can't wait to see Babar & Rizwan back.

Just cannot stand these hacks and nothing players like Agha.

 

[pakistani pride]

Agha is not the answer, biggest disappointment for me was how scared he was to bowl. I mean in Dubai vs left handers under pressure, what more do you want?

But Babar and Rizwan should never play T20s for Pak again, never!

 

[BouncerGuy]

Can't wait to see Babar & Rizwan back.

Just cannot stand these hacks and nothing players like Agha.

Riz is not the guy we would want to go back but seeing the current players and thier brilliant stats, might as well just call him back...LOL

 

[Ball Blazer]

Right. Salman is not even the match-winner

 

[Caved12]

Rizwan is a fantastic batter, no question about it. You could easily justify his place in the XI based purely on his batting, especially with an average of 40+ across all three formats.

But here’s the thing: even if you completely ignore his batting, Rizwan still makes the playing XI in all formats just on the basis of his wicketkeeping.

His glove work is on another level, reliable, sharp, and consistently game changing. That alone puts him ahead of the competition. When you combine that with his batting, it’s not even a debate.

As for Babar, he is still comfortably ahead of all our current players. He’s performed consistently for years and has carried Pakistan’s batting across formats during some of the toughest phases. Based on his past performances alone, he deserves at least another year. If he struggles after that, then yes, we reassess. But to discard him now is both disrespectful and short sighted.

This is a technically sound batter who we, as a system and fanbase, have done everything possible to undermine. Why? Because a section of casual fans, with little understanding of the game, would rather hype players who close their eyes, swing blindly, and occasionally come off, than support a proven performer with world class numbers across formats.

It’s time we start respecting what Babar has already achieved for Pakistan, rather than tearing down one of the few truly elite batters we’ve produced in decades.

 

[Caved12]

Salman is a talented player who has unfortunately suffered due to the responsibilities placed on him, especially being made T20I captain. Instead of focusing on his batting, he's had to deal with leadership pressures and off field distractions and it has clearly affected his performance. He was poor in the Asia Cup and, as a T20I batter, deserved to be dropped on merit.

Ideally, he shouldn't be in the T20I side right now. But the reality is, the options we have to replace him are mostly Tulla players who don’t bring much more to the table. If we eventually find someone solid who can take his spot, great - that would allow Salman to focus on formats where he’s far more valuable: Tests and ODIs.

I’ve always been a Salman fan, and I always will be. I admire players who have a solid defense and the technique to succeed in Tests and ODIs. I’ll never lose respect for someone who’s a proven performer in the longer formats but struggles in T20s. That format should never define a player's entire career.