Sports
Who Should Be Captain? | The Express Tribune
NEED CHANGE: Pakistan won a record 21 T20Is this year under Salman Ali Agha’s captaincy. Photo: AFP/File
KARACHI:
“Alright, you tell me — who should be made captain in T20s?” asked a person connected to Pakistan cricket during a friendly discussion with me.
Without hesitation, I replied, “Shaheen Shah Afridi.”
He responded, “The World Cup is so close now. If a change is made at this stage and, God forbid, the team doesn’t perform well, then you people will say ‘bring a new captain.’ That’s not a solution. Constant changes cause more harm than good.”
Hearing this, I said, “Salman Ali Agha is a nice, decent guy — that’s why he suits the board. That’s why he was given the captaincy. You can’t make Shaheen take ‘favorable decisions.’”
Smiling, he said, “You’re right that Salman is a straightforward person. He doesn’t get involved in groupings and listens to the board. But remember, he became captain based on his cricketing skills — these are just additional qualities. Shaheen is also a good guy; if the PCB tells him something, do you think he would refuse? Actually, Salman has been given the role with the future in mind. Shaheen is already the ODI captain; if the officials didn’t like him, why would they give him that responsibility either? I know you won’t be convinced, but I’m telling you the truth.”
I replied, “I know what’s going on in your minds. Salman’s own performance isn’t great; he’s been made captain because it’ll be easier to replace him later. Shadab Khan is fit again, and Mike Hesson wants to make him captain — they’ve worked together for years at Islamabad United.”
To this, I got the response, “Those are social media-type theories. It doesn’t suit you to repeat them. Tell me one thing — is Hesson’s job guaranteed unless the team wins? Why would he prioritize personal preferences? Yes, he’s friendly with Shadab, but it’s not that simple to make him captain directly upon return from injury. Remember, when Shadab was fit, he still played as vice-captain under Salman. They have good chemistry. Such a setup could continue when he returns. Anyway, we’ll talk later — okay, bye.”
After all this, it seems to me that Salman Ali Agha will be the captain for the World Cup. But with Pakistan cricket, nothing is ever certain — anything can happen. Until an official announcement is made, uncertainty will remain. Salman has performed well in Tests and ODIs, but his T20 performance hasn’t been extraordinary, which is why his place in the team is often questioned. However, in the recent triangular series, he seemed determined and even played a good innings against Sri Lanka.
A former great captain once told me something very insightful: “First select your best eleven players — then pick a captain from among them. If you bring in someone from outside that eleven, it means you’re compromising for other reasons.”
Our cricket “superstars” have also betrayed one another. Some former players broke relationships just to break “players’ power.” There was a time when even thinking about removing a captain was forbidden; later, the same friends started hiding things from each other to gain the captaincy.
It’s true that there’s no “players’ power” anymore, but if we compare the teams of that era with today’s, there’s a big difference. Babar Azam, once feared by bowlers, now lacks co confidence and consistency. When the team is chasing a big total in T20s, he seems visibly tense. If he hadn’t been entangled in the captaincy issue, would it have been the same?
Shaheen, on the other hand, will probably always feel that the very friends for whom he was ready to stand up to the board were the ones who “betrayed” him. The British introduced the policy of “divide and rule,” and it’s still being used in every field today.
Looking at all this, it seems that Salman Ali Agha is currently the best candidate for captaincy. He hasn’t been part of any group, his own place in the team isn’t always secure — so he’s likely to remain under the board’s control. The good thing is that under his captaincy, the team has started producing positive results recently, both in events and bilateral series.
The real question, however, is whether he can perform well in a high-pressure tournament like the World Cup. Maybe that’s what’s going through the officials’ minds — which is why there’s still no announcement. But time is running out; a decision will have to be made soon.
Let’s see what happens.
By the way, what do you think — should Salman remain captain, or should the responsibility go to Shadab or Shaheen instead? Don’t forget to share your opinion.
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has identified a host of athletic competitions it classifies as “major sporting events” — aside from soccer’s 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games — that athletes and coaches will be allowed to travel to the U.S. to take part in despite a broad visa ban on nearly 40 countries.
In a cable sent to all U.S. embassies and consulates Wednesday, the State Department said athletes, coaches and support staff for the World Cup, the Olympics and events endorsed or run by a long list of collegiate and professional sporting leagues and associations would not be subject to the full and partial travel bans that apply to citizens of 39 countries and the Palestinian Authority.
However, the cable made clear that foreign spectators, media and corporate sponsors planning to attend the same events would still be banned unless they qualify for another exemption.
“Only a small subset of travelers for the World Cup, Olympics and Paralympics, and other major sporting events will qualify for the exception,” it said.
President Donald Trump’s administration has issued a series of immigration and travel bans as well as other visa restrictions as part of ongoing efforts to tighten U.S. entry standards for foreigners. At the same time, the administration has been looking to ensure that athletes, coaches and fans are able to attend major sporting events in the U.S.
Trump’s Dec. 16 proclamation banning the issuance of visas to the 39 countries and the Palestinian Authority had carved out an exception for athletes and staff competing in the World Cup, the Olympics and other major sporting events. It delegated a decision on which other sporting events would be covered to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Wednesday’s cable lists the events that are covered, including “all competitions and qualifying events” for the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan-American Games, and Para Pan-American Games; events hosted, sanctioned or recognized by a U.S. National Governing Body; all competitions and qualifying events for the Special Olympics; and official events and competitions hosted or endorsed by FIFA, soccer’s governing body, or its confederations.
The exemption also will cover official events and competitions hosted by the International Military Sports Council, the International University Sports Federation and the National Collegiate Athletic Association as well as those hosted or endorsed by U.S. professional sports leagues such as the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and Women’s National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and Little League, National Hockey League, Professional Women’s Hockey League, NASCAR, Formula 1, the Professional Golf Association, Ladies Professional Golf Association, LIV Golf, Major League Rugby, Major League Soccer, World Wrestling Entertainment, Ultimate Fighting Championship and All Elite Wrestling.
The cable said other events and leagues could be added to the list.
Of the 39 countries, a full travel ban applies to Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and people with Palestinian Authority-issued passports.
A partial ban is in place for citizens of Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Togo, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
President Donald Trump will return to the sidelines Monday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio for the College Football Playoff championship in Miami, where the Indiana Hoosiers will face the Miami Hurricanes.
Trump’s expected attendance was first reported by Axios.
President Donald Trump, right, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attend an NFL game between the Washington Commanders and the Detroit Lions at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md., Nov. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Monday’s appearance at the national championship game marks another high-profile outing for the president, who has attended several major sporting events during his second term.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
In April, Trump sat alongside UFC President Dana White outside the octagon for UFC 314 in Miami and again two months later at UFC 316 in New Jersey. He also attended several events in September, including the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York and a New York Yankees game on Sept. 11, 24 years after the 9/11 attacks.
President Donald Trump waves to the crowd as he arrives on the first hole on the first day of competition for the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. (Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters via Imagn Images)
TRUMP WARNS COLLEGE SPORTS ARE IN ‘BIG TROUBLE’ IN CRYPTIC POST
President Trump has taken a special interest in sports in his second term.
In December, he warned the current state of name, image and likeness (NIL) was not sustainable and could pose a threat to college athletics, especially sports outside of football. He has also made ensuring the fairness and safety in girls and women’s sports a top priority of his administration.
President Donald Trump attends the 126th Army-Navy Game between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore Dec. 13, 2025. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Top-seeded Indiana, led by Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, will take on Miami at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, Monday at 7:45 p.m. ET.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
In the latest gambling scandal to rock sports, a federal indictment accuses bettors and athletes of “point-shaving” in NCAA and Chinese Basketball Association games.
Source link
U.S. names sporting events athletes exempt from visa ban
Trump to attend College Football Playoff championship game in Miami with Rubio
Meta’s Layoffs Leave Supernatural Fitness Users in Mourning
-
Politics1 week agoUK says provided assistance in US-led tanker seizure
-
Entertainment1 week agoDoes new US food pyramid put too much steak on your plate?
-
Entertainment1 week agoWhy did Nick Reiner’s lawyer Alan Jackson withdraw from case?
-
Business1 week agoTrump moves to ban home purchases by institutional investors
-
Sports1 week agoPGA of America CEO steps down after one year to take care of mother and mother-in-law
-
Sports5 days agoClock is ticking for Frank at Spurs, with dwindling evidence he deserves extra time
-
Business1 week agoBulls dominate as KSE-100 breaks past 186,000 mark – SUCH TV
-
Business1 week agoGold prices declined in the local market – SUCH TV