Former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has raised questions about the bowling strategy used by T20I captain Salman Ali Agha during Pakistan’s Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 match against India in Colombo on Sunday. Hafeez expressed his views after the high-intensity contest.
According to Mohammad Hafeez, Agha, who bowled two excellent overs for just 10 runs and took the wicket of Abhishek Sharma, should have continued for a third and fourth over. Hafeez believes that this decision might have helped Pakistan restrict India to a lower total.
Hafeez also criticized the decision to hand the sixth over to Saim Ayub despite the team building momentum earlier. He suggested that a premium bowler should have been introduced during the powerplay at a decisive stage. This, Hafeez argued, could have put more pressure on India’s top-order batsmen.
While critical of some bowling choices, Hafeez praised the performance of mystery off-spinner Usman Tariq, who finished with figures of 1-24. Hafeez described Tariq’s spell as impressive but questioned the timing of his introduction. He noted that Ishan Kishan had already scored freely by the time Tariq came into the attack.
The former captain’s remarks reflect ongoing discussions around Pakistan’s bowling strategies in the T20 World Cup. Analysts and fans are debating whether different bowling decisions could have changed the outcome of this high-stakes match against India.
Mohammad Hafeez emphasized that careful timing of bowlers and better utilization of premium options are crucial in matches against arch-rivals. His comments have sparked renewed interest in Pakistan’s team tactics, particularly in spin-heavy and powerplay phases of T20 World Cup games.
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The discussion around Hafeez’s observations highlights the importance of strategic bowling decisions in world-class tournaments. Fans will closely watch whether Pakistan adjusts its approach in upcoming matches of the T20 World Cup 2026.
