Pakistan’s middle-order batter credits domestic cricket for rebuilding his form after international setbacks, following a match-winning century against Sri Lanka in the ODI tri-series opener.
RAWALPINDI: Pakistan batter Salman Ali Agha has credited domestic cricket for his impressive return to form after scoring a superb century against Sri Lanka in the opening match of the home ODI tri-series also featuring England.
Agha struck an unbeaten 107 off just 90 deliveries on Sunday, helping Pakistan secure a 37-run victory over Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The performance marked his first international appearance since August and provided a timely response to a difficult period in his career.
The 32-year-old had recently been dropped from Pakistan’s T20 International and Test sides and had also lost the captaincy in the shortest format. With his international future under scrutiny, Agha returned to domestic cricket to rediscover his rhythm ahead of the tri-series.
His decision paid off handsomely.
Domestic cricket helped Salman Agha regain form
Agha delivered a remarkable unbeaten triple-century for Kingsmen in Pakistan’s domestic President’s Trophy Grade-I competition in mid-September. He followed that performance with another century towards the end of the month, putting himself firmly back in contention for international selection.
Speaking after his match-winning innings against Sri Lanka, Agha stressed that domestic cricket deserved far greater recognition and respect.
“I feel that we don’t give enough respect to our domestic cricket,” Agha said.
He challenged the perception that scoring runs in domestic competitions was easy, arguing that players still had to work hard and overcome difficult conditions to succeed.
“People think conditions there are very easy and scoring runs is a walk in the park—which isn’t true, otherwise everyone would go and score,” he said.
Agha also criticised the tendency of sections of the media, former cricketers and social media users to dismiss domestic performances when established international players return to the circuit to rebuild their form.
He pointed out that players such as himself and fellow Pakistan batter Saud Shakeel had progressed through the domestic system and deserved recognition for their performances.
‘Scoring runs in domestic cricket is not easy’
Agha explained that his return to domestic cricket helped him correct technical problems that had affected his batting at international level.
“Let me tell you, scoring runs in domestic cricket is not easy. You have to go there, play well, and fight for your runs; otherwise, runs simply don’t come,” he said.
The batter revealed that he had played five domestic matches to regain his touch and improve his batting mechanics before returning to international cricket.
“My batting alignment and mechanics were out of place, but I went there, played, performed, and improved significantly. Today, by the grace of Allah, that success translated here,” Agha said.
He urged cricket stakeholders to stop undermining domestic performances and instead recognise the importance of the domestic structure in developing and rehabilitating international players.
Pakistan setbacks did not deter Agha
Agha acknowledged that being dropped from the T20I side and subsequently overlooked during Pakistan’s Test tour of England had disappointed him.
He had captained Pakistan in the opening Test at Leeds but was left out of the subsequent selection plans for the tour.
Nevertheless, the experienced batter maintained that a brief downturn should not overshadow years of consistent performances at the highest level.
“Three or four Test matches didn’t go well, but I had been performing consistently for four years before that,” he said.
Agha added that losing form at international level was particularly challenging because players faced the world’s best professionals under intense scrutiny and pressure.
“When you face a rough patch in international cricket, getting out of it isn’t easy because you are playing high-risk cricket under immense pressure against the best professionals in the world,” he said.
He emphasised that regaining form takes time, describing his own experience as an example of the patience and hard work required to overcome a difficult spell.
Pakistan face England in next tri-series match
Pakistan will return to action on Tuesday, October 20, when they face England in Rawalpindi in their second match of the ODI tri-series.
The tournament will continue with fixtures in Rawalpindi before moving to Lahore for the remaining group matches and the final scheduled for October 31.
Pakistan ODI tri-series schedule
• October 18: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, Rawalpindi — Pakistan won by 37 runs.
• October 20: Pakistan vs England, Rawalpindi.
• October 22: Sri Lanka vs England, Rawalpindi.
• October 25: Pakistan vs England, Lahore.
• October 27: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, Lahore.
• October 29: Sri Lanka vs England, Lahore.
• October 31: Final, Lahore.
Agha’s commanding century has given Pakistan an encouraging start to the tournament while strengthening his case for a sustained return to form. His message, however, extended beyond one innings: domestic cricket remains a vital platform for players seeking to rebuild confidence, correct technical flaws and earn their place back in the national side.