Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha had an animated chat with head coach Mike Hesson during Pakistan’s final group-stage match against Namibia. According to reports, there is a fallout between the coach and the captain within the Pakistan camp ahead of the Super 8 stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
Pakistan sealed their place in the Super 8s with a 102-run win over Namibia on Wednesday. Sahibzada Farhan scored an unbeaten 100 off 58 balls, while spinners Shadab Khan and Usman Tariq shared seven wickets between them. Pakistan will face New Zealand, England, and Sri Lanka in the Super 8 stage.
Salman Ali Agha Loses Cool After Exchange With Mike Hesson
Pakistan began their innings cautiously, with Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub avoiding early risks. Ayub perished for 14 off 12 balls. Farhan and Salman Ali Agha then steadied the innings with a 67-run partnership off 42 balls for the second wicket before Agha’s dismissal came against the flow of play.
Agha played a quick knock of 38 runs off 23 balls. Jack Brassell dismissed him on the first ball of the 13th over of Pakistan’s innings. After walking back to the dugout, Agha was caught on camera in a heated exchange with head coach Mike Hesson.
The video showed the Pakistan captain visibly upset during the conversation, after which he threw a water bottle in frustration.
All Not Well in Pakistan Camp? Salman Ali Agha Clears the Air
According to Shamik Chakrabarty from RevSportz, there were signs of tension in the Pakistan camp, with talk of a possible rift between Salman Ali Agha and Mike Hesson. Shamik revealed that Agha told his teammates that his reaction came only from disappointment with his own dismissal.
“Not all is well in the Pakistan camp, and there are reports of a fallout between the coach and the captain. However, according to sources, Salman Ali Agha addressed the issue after the match during the dressing-room talk. He explained to his teammates that his reaction came purely out of frustration over his dismissal,” Shamik Chakrabarty said.
Agha felt he had played a useful cameo of 30-odd runs that helped Pakistan regain momentum after a slow start. He wanted to carry on but was unhappy with the way he got out. The reaction had nothing to do with what head coach Mike Hesson said and was only directed at himself.”
🚨Salman Agha clears the air. Pakistan are likely to go unchanged in their Super 8 clash against New Zealand@shamik100 reporting from Colombo 📍@IDFCFIRSTBank #Pakistan #SalmanAgha #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/ySVvJxH3EF
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) February 20, 2026
Pakistan Likely to Go Unchanged for Super 8 Clash Against New Zealand
Shamik Chakrabarty stated that Pakistan are expected to stick with the same playing XI for their Super 8 match against New Zealand. He added that Shaheen Afridi might not be considered for the upcoming match.
“New Zealand will be training from 2:00 PM. Before that, 1:45 PM is their press conference. Pakistan will be training from 6:00 to 9:00 PM, and they have scheduled their pre-match press conference at 9:00 PM.”
As for whether Pakistan will change their team combination against New Zealand in the Super 8 game, that remains to be seen. However, what I am hearing from insiders is that they are likely to go in with an unchanged lineup.”
