Pakistan captain Salman Ali Aga has an animated chat with head coach Mike Hesson during Pakistan’s final group-stage match against Namibia. According to reports, there is a rift going on in the Pakistan camp between the coach and the captain before the Super 8 stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
Pakistan confirmed their place in the Super 8 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 together took seven wickets. Pakistan will face New Zealand, England and Sri Lanka in the Super 8 stage.
Salman Ali Aga lost his cool after conversation with Mike Hesson!
Pakistan started their innings cautiously, with Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub avoiding early risks. Ayub was out after scoring 14 runs in 12 balls. Farhan and Salman Ali Aga then took the innings forward with a partnership of 67 runs from 42 balls for the second wicket, before Aga was out against the flow of the game.
Agha played a quick inning of 38 runs in 23 balls. Jack Brassell dismissed him on the first ball of the 13th over of Pakistan’s innings. After going back to the dugout, Agha was caught on camera having a heated exchange with head coach Mike Hesson.
The Pakistani captain looked upset during the conversation in the video, after which he threw a water bottle in frustration.
Is everything not well in Pakistan camp? Salman Ali Aga clarified
According to Shamik Chakraborty of RevSportz, there were signs of tension in the Pakistan camp, with talk of a possible rift between Salman Ali Aga and Mike Hesson. Shamik revealed that Agha told his teammates that his reaction only came out of disappointment at his dismissal.
Shamik Chakraborty said, “All is not well in the Pakistani camp and there are reports of a rift between the coach and the captain. However, according to sources, Salman Ali Aga addressed the issue during a conversation in the dressing room after the match. He explained to his teammates that his reaction came purely out of disappointment at his dismissal.”
Aga believes he played a useful inning of 30-plus runs which helped Pakistan regain momentum after a slow start. He wanted to move on but was unhappy with the way he got out. This reaction had nothing to do with what head coach Mike Hesson said and was directed solely at himself.
Salman Aga clarified the situation. Pakistan likely to remain unchanged in Super 8 clash against New Zealand@shamik100 Reporting from Colombo@IDFCFIRSTBANK #Pakistan #salmanagha #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/ySVvJxH3EF
– RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) 20 February 2026
Pakistan likely to remain unchanged in Super 8 clash against New Zealand
Shamik Chakraborty said that Pakistan is expected to stick with the same playing eleven for the Super 8 match against New Zealand. He said that Shaheen Afridi’s name cannot be considered for the upcoming match.
“New Zealand will train from 2:00 pm. Before that, they have a press conference at 1:45 pm. Pakistan will train from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm, and they have scheduled their pre-match press conference at 9:00 pm.”
It remains to be seen whether Pakistan will change its team combination against New Zealand in the Super 8 match. However, I am hearing from insiders that they are likely to go with an unchanged lineup.
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