The whole “Agha is a modern T20 hero” narrative was just online hype pushed by people who disliked Babar and Rizwan. Otherwise, how can anyone glorify a player who has been a proven failure in this format? That said, I still support Salman. I believe he can improve as a player if Babar and Rizwan are around, because while he isn’t ideal for T20s by international standards, he’s still better than most of the other options we have, players with poor techniques who are nothing more than sloggers.
The real problem is that the PCB’s politics disrupted his progress. Instead of letting him gradually develop, they burdened him with too much too soon. Making him captain at a time when he hadn’t earned it only added unnecessary pressure. Leading a young side in the Asia Cup not only exposed him but also distracted him from working on his own game. Earlier, I noticed real improvement in his batting and even signs of him growing into a handy part time bowler, but all of that has stalled. Right now, he’s juggling far too many responsibilities instead of focusing on becoming a better cricketer.