Following Pakistan’s T20 World Cup Super 8 defeat to England, Salman Ali Agha’s wife Sabba Manzer and their son faced online abuse from angry fans. Manzer condemned the harassment on social media, urging people not to target her or their young son.
Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha’s wife, Sabba Manzer and their son were allegedly targeted by Pakistani fans following the Men in Green’s defeat in the T20 World Cup Super 8 Group 2 match against England at the Palekalle International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on Tuesday, February 24.
Pakistan suffered a narrow two-wicket defeat to England, putting their semifinal hopes in jeopardy. After posting a total of 164/9 in 20 overs, the Men in Green failed to defend it as The Three Lions chased down a 165-run target with five balls to spare in the final over. Pakistan’s bowlers were dominated by Harry Brook, who played a brilliant captain’s knock of 100 off 51 balls, including 10 fours and 4 sixes, at a strike rate of 196.08, sealing a thrilling victory for England.
Pacer Shaheen Afridi led the bowling attack with figures of 4/30 at an economy rate of 7.50 in his spell of four overs. Mohammad Nawaz (2/26) and Usman Tariq (2/31) together picked four wickets. However, their efforts went in vain as Pakistan failed to contain England in the crucial final overs.
Salman Agha’s Wife Responds to Online Abuse
Following the defeat to England, Pakistani fans were quite angry and frustrated over the team’s loss, as their semifinal chances had been left hanging by a thread, prompting some to direct abuse at Salman Ali Agha’s wife and young son on social media.
Salman’s wife took to her Instagram story to condemn the abuse meted out on her and the couple’s son, Salah, after being unfairly targeted by angry fans following the Men in Green’s Super 8 defeat at the hands of Pakistan.
Sabba Manzer wrote:
“Sending me or my innocent son abuse is not going to win you the World Cup, Pakistani fans.”
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Sabba Manzer’s response to online abuse by angry Pakistani fans highlighted her frustration, urging them to stop targeting her and their young son over the team’s Super 8 defeat, emphasising that their anger should be directed at the team’s performance, not innocent family members.
Salman Ali Agha and Sabba Manzer married after years of dating and became parents to Salah last year. Sabba is a barrister by profession, completing her legal studies in the United Kingdom.
Can Pakistan Qualify for the Semifinal?
After Super 8 defeat to England, Pakistan’s chances of qualifying for the semifinal became slim as their first Super 8 clash against England was washed out due to rain in Colombo. With just one point across two matches and a net run rate of -0.461, the Men in Green will have to defeat Sri Lanka in their final Super 8 fixture.
However, Pakistan’s qualification for the semifinal will depend on New Zealand’s results in their Super 8 matches against Sri Lanka and England. If the Mitchell Santner-led side loses their remaining two fixtures, Pakistan will finish second in Group 2 if they win against Sri Lanka.
In case New Zealand win one of their remaining two fixtures and Pakistan defeat Sri Lanka, the semifinal spot will come down to the net run rate, as two teams end up on three points after three matches, making the margin of victory crucial for the Men in Green. If New Zealand wins both matches, Pakistan will be eliminated regardless of their result against Pakistan.
The Men in Green are currently in a situation where they either have to secure a dominant victory with a better NRR over Sri Lanka and hope other results swing in their favour, or risk an early exit from the T20 World Cup 2026, despite staying mathematically alive until the final Super 8 fixture.