IND vs PAK: Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha sparked fitness concerns on Wednesday after missing most of his team’s practice session in Dubai due to a neck spasm, just days before their much-awaited Asia Cup clash against India.
The 31-year-old travelled with the squad to the ICC Cricket Academy but refrained from training. Wrapped in a neck bandage, Agha was spotted walking around the ground while the rest of the squad went through stretching routines, warm-ups, and a light football game to ease into training.
According to Geo News, his discomfort was apparent, particularly during movement, which led him to opt out of drills.
While his absence raised alarm bells ahead of Pakistan’s Group A opener, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) quickly downplayed the situation. The team’s media manager clarified that the skipper’s issue was “minor” and purely “precautionary.” Agha is expected to resume training before Pakistan faces Oman on Friday. “The captain skipped the session purely as a precautionary measure and is expected to resume full training with the team shortly,” the report said.
Inside the camp, there is optimism that Agha will recover in time, ensuring his availability for the high-profile clash against India on Sunday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan head into the tournament with momentum, having recently clinched the T20 Tri-Series after thrashing Afghanistan by 75 runs in the final. Spinner Mohammad Nawaz’s hat-trick sealed their dominant win in a series that also involved the UAE. Ranked eighth in the ICC T20 rankings, Pakistan are treating the Asia Cup as an opportunity to test their depth and strategies ahead of next year’s global competitions.
Given the UAE’s slow and turning tracks, Pakistan have leaned heavily on spin options, a ploy that worked during the Tri-Series and could again be decisive in the continental event. “We wanted to prepare in a way that helps us for the Asia Cup and we’ve done that,” Agha had said earlier, confident in his team’s build-up.
Placed in Group A alongside India, Oman, and UAE, Pakistan know the spotlight will firmly be on their clash with India-a rivalry where every player’s fitness, including that of their captain, could make all the difference.