Salman Agha reveals why was he selected in World Cup squad

Batter Salman Ali Agha was one of Pakistan’s surprise picks in their ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 squad, and his inclusion has been questioned by fans and former cricketers.

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They believe his performance in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2023 was not enough for him to get picked for the world championships. In the tournament, he played four matches and scored 40 runs at an average of 20 and a strike rate of 59.70. His high score was 23 against India.

Salman Ali Agha revealed the reason behind his selection for the 50-over World Cup during a presser amid criticism of his form and inclusion in the side for the world championships. The batter said he got picked in the Pakistan squad because of his hard work in the domestic circuit for the past 8-10 years.

He said it is every cricketer’s dream to play in the World Cup and he will get to experience the feeling next month.

“Playing the World Cup is everyone’s dream. Growing up, it was mine too and I am getting to fulfil my dream,” he said. “I have worked hard in the domestic circuit for the past 8-10 years, and getting named in the World Cup squad is a result of that.”

He said the side has put their Asia Cup 2023 performance behind them and is now focusing on the world championships.

“We did not end the Asia Cup as we should have, which was disappointing but the morale of the team is great right now. The past is in the past, we cannot do anything about it now. We are now focused on the World Cup. We are learning from our mistakes and are backed by the management.

He added, “We will try our best to return with the trophy and live up to the expectations of our fans.”

The batter said the middle overs are crucial in ODIs for both batters and bowlers.

“Middle overs are very important in 50-overs cricket, both with batting and bowling. You cannot predict what you will be required to do, so I cannot say what [our plan for the middle overs] is right now. It will entirely depend on the requirement of the team, once we start playing the tournament,” he added.