From local club to national hero: Salman Ali Agha’s cricket journey with Pakistan – The Express Tribune

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The all-rounder silenced his critics with a match-winning century in Pakistan's victory over South Africa on Wednesday
Salman Ali Agha’s rise from Lahore to ODI stardom reached new heights with a match-winning, record-breaking century against South Africa.
The dazzling knock, coupled with a remarkable partnership with Captain Muhammad Rizwan, helped Pakistan secure a thrilling victory and silence his critics in the process.
In the third match of the three-nation ODI series played on Wednesday at Karachi's National Bank Stadium, Pakistan triumphed over South Africa by six wickets, securing their place in the final against New Zealand on Friday.
South Africa set Pakistan a daunting target of 353 runs, but Pakistan comfortably chased it down, thanks to brilliant centuries from captain Mohammad Rizwan and vice-captain Agha.
Agha played a magnificent unbeaten knock of 133 runs from 103 balls, including 2 sixes and 16 fours. This century marked Agha's first-ever in the ODI format, making him a topic of discussion in cricketing circles.
Born on November 23, 1993, in Lahore, Agha began his cricket journey with the Apollo Cricket Club in Lahore and played his first-ever first-class match in 2013.
In 2018, Agha was selected for the Federal Areas team in the Pakistan Cup, and that same year, he participated in the Global T20 Canada tournament, playing for Edmonton Royals.
The following year, he was picked for the Southern Punjab team for the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy season, and in October 2021, he was named to the Pakistan Shaheens (Pakistan A team) squad for their tour of Sri Lanka.
2018 proved to be a turning point in Agha's career. That year, he was selected by the Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). From 2018 to 2021, Agha played 17 matches for the Qalandars.
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The year 2021 was extraordinary for Agha, as he became part of Pakistan’s Test and ODI teams.
He was included in the squad for the Test series against South Africa in January 2021 and against Zimbabwe in March 2021.
Later that year, he was also included in the white-ball team for the ODI series against England.
In 2022, Agha made his Test debut during the tour of Sri Lanka and marked his white-ball debut in the same year during the ODI series against the Netherlands.
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To date, Agha has represented Pakistan in 21 Test matches, scoring 1317 runs at an average of 38, including three centuries and nine half-centuries. He has also taken 19 wickets in red-ball cricket.
In the ODI format, Agha has played 32 matches for Pakistan, accumulating 870 runs at an average of 45, including one century and five half-centuries. Additionally, he has taken 15 wickets in ODIs.
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Regarding his T20 International career, Agha has played six matches for the national team, scoring 50 runs and claiming two wickets. Last year, Agha was appointed vice-captain of Pakistan's white-ball team, further solidifying his role in the squad.
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