Salman Ali Agha credits domestic cricket for ODI ton against Sri Lanka in tri-series opener

Pakistan middle-order batter Salman Ali Agha made a timely statement on his return to the national side, scoring a brilliant century to help Pakistan secure a 37-run victory over Sri Lanka in the opening match of the ODI tri-series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Agha’s commanding innings guided Pakistan to 305 before the bowlers restricted Sri Lanka to 268, giving the hosts a winning start to the competition. Beyond his performance, however, the batter used the post-match media conference to highlight the importance of domestic cricket and called for greater appreciation of players who perform consistently at that level.

How did Agha respond after a challenging period?

Agha’s century came after a turbulent spell in his international career. He captained Pakistan in the opening Test against England but missed the second match before being sent home amid a major squad reshuffle that saw seven players released ahead of the third Test.

After returning from England, the right-hander featured for Kingsmen Academy in the President’s Trophy Grade-I, where he made an immediate impact with an unbeaten 300 against Markhor IT (MIT) Solutions in his first appearance.

He subsequently lost Pakistan’s T20I captaincy to Sahibzada Farhan and was omitted from the squad for the T20I series against Sri Lanka, which Pakistan won 2-1.

Against Sri Lanka in the ODI tri-series opener, Agha produced a fluent 107 off 90 deliveries, striking 10 fours and a six to anchor Pakistan’s innings.

Why does Agha want domestic cricket to receive more respect?

Reflecting on domestic cricket’s role in developing players, Agha argued that scoring runs in local competitions requires considerable ability and should not be dismissed when players make the step up to international cricket.

“I think we don’t give enough respect to our domestic cricket. The conditions there are not that easy and scoring runs is not an easy job. Otherwise, everyone would go there and score runs,” he said.

The batter also criticised the tendency among former cricketers to undermine domestic performances on social media.

“If a player like me scores runs in domestic cricket, former cricketers say on social media that he has scored runs in domestic cricket, but scoring runs there is not that easy. You have to play well to score runs there,” he added.

Why should domestic performers be recognised?

Agha stressed that players who establish themselves through consistent domestic performances deserve credit for their achievements. He pointed to his own decade-long journey before breaking into international cricket, alongside the progress of Saud Shakeel and Saad Baig.

“I don’t think this is a good message either, because the players who come from there after performing have earned it. I was performing there for 10 years before I came into international cricket. Saud Shakeel was also there, and Saad Baig has performed in domestic cricket and did well today,” Agha said.

He concluded by reiterating his call for greater recognition of the domestic structure.

“I think the time has come to give domestic cricket the respect it deserves,” he concluded.

What did Shaheen say about Pakistan’s victory?

Pakistan captain Shaheen Afridi praised Agha’s century and highlighted the team’s batting partnerships, while stressing the importance of communication among the fast bowlers.

“We wanted to bat first after winning the toss. We were looking to score beyond 300, and Agha batted well. I was happy to see how Saad Baig batted, and Hasan Nawaz stitched together a partnership with Agha,” Shaheen said.

Shaheen led the bowling effort with three wickets, while Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Faheem Ashraf claimed two apiece to seal Pakistan’s 37-run win.