Pakistan suffered a narrow loss to England in the Super 8s of the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, prompting backlash against captain Salman Agha. His wife, Sabba Manzer, highlighted online abuse directed at her and their son. Former cricketer Shoaib Akhtar questioned Agha's leadership suitability.
Pakistan's campaign in the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup took a hit with a two-wicket defeat to England in their second Super 8 match at Pallekele. The loss, where Harry Brook scored a century to steer England home, has intensified scrutiny on captain Salman Agha.
Agha's wife, Sabba Manzer, addressed the fallout on Instagram, posting: “Sending me or my innocent son abuse is not going to win you the World Cup pakistani fans.” She noted that such messages followed the team's disappointing performance, drawing parallels to abuse faced by families of athletes in other sports like NHL and NBA.
Criticism came swiftly from former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, whose on-air comments went viral. Before the match, Akhtar expressed hopes for England's poor showing to secure points for Pakistan and potentially eliminate India, saying: “England insalla itnah burah khel jaye, hum khushi khushi do point bhi le jaye. Aur phir India bhi bahir ho jaye.” After the loss, his tone shifted to internal blame, stating: “Looking at him tactically, he is not captaincy material. He was forced into the role as a ‘make-shift’ arrangement.” Akhtar criticized Agha's tactical decisions, including the use of spinner Usman Tariq, and suggested the management selected a weak leader to deflect blame.
In contrast, Agha responded gracefully post-match, crediting England: “Some days you have to give credit to other batters. I think Harry batted brilliantly. Our score was a bit short. And then Brook took the game away from us. Have to say hats off to him and the way he batted today.” The defeat has put Pakistan's semi-final hopes under pressure, highlighting the intense expectations in the tournament.
