Salman Ali Agha Admits Pakistan Were ‘Outclassed’ as Babar Eyes Return
LEEDS, ENGLAND — WEB DESK: Pakistan stand-in captain Salman Ali Agha has admitted his side was comprehensively outplayed by England in the opening Test at Headingley, acknowledging failures across departments as the tourists look to regroup ahead of the second match at Lord’s.
England defeated Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs on Friday to take a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series, completing the victory before tea on the third day despite rain interruptions.
Speaking after the defeat, Salman conceded that England had outclassed Pakistan and said his team had failed to maintain consistency or properly execute its plans.
Pakistan’s problems were particularly evident with the bat. After being dismissed for 171 in their first innings, the tourists were bowled out for just 135 in the second, while England’s 409 gave the hosts a commanding first-innings advantage of 238 runs.
England’s pace attack dominated throughout the match, with Josh Tongue and Ollie Robinson taking eight wickets each across Pakistan’s two innings. Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson provided further support as England’s seamers claimed all 20 Pakistani wickets.
Salman Acknowledges Senior Batters’ Poor Form
Salman said Pakistan possessed talent but had been unable to translate its plans into performances on the field.
He also acknowledged concerns surrounding the form of the team’s senior batters, including himself, Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel, saying their failure to contribute enough runs was hurting the side.
Pakistan’s stand-in captain described the team’s bowling attack as relatively young and inexperienced and said the management was attempting to build a unit for the future.
Pakistan’s current attack does contain experienced seamer Mohammad Abbas, but the wider squad includes several players with limited international experience. The Pakistan Cricket Board’s original England squad included uncapped players as part of the team’s rebuilding process.
Salman also pointed to the difficulty of adapting quickly to English conditions, saying Pakistan had arrived only around a week before the series began.
The conditions proved particularly challenging at Headingley, where England’s seamers repeatedly exploited movement to dismantle Pakistan’s batting order.
Babar Azam Could Return at Lord’s
Pakistan could receive a major boost for the second Test, with Salman expressing hope that regular captain Babar Azam will recover in time to return.
Babar missed the Headingley Test after suffering an injury to his right hand during Pakistan’s warm-up match in Beckenham. The injury involved the same hand that had previously troubled him during the West Indies series.
Pakistan head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed said before the opening Test that Babar had swelling and pain but no fracture. He expressed hope at the time that the captain would be available for the second Test after another seven or eight days of recovery.
Salman echoed that optimism following the Headingley defeat, saying he hoped Babar would be fully fit for the next match. His return, however, remains subject to medical clearance and should not yet be treated as confirmed.
Babar’s availability would strengthen a batting order that struggled badly against England’s pace attack and would also see him resume the captaincy after Salman led Pakistan in a Test for the first time at Headingley.
Pakistan Face Lord’s Test After Heavy Defeat
The scale of the Headingley loss increases the pressure on Pakistan to respond quickly.
England’s victory marked a successful start to Joe Root’s latest stint as Test captain, while Pakistan must address both its batting vulnerabilities and bowling performance before the second match.
The three-match series forms part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle. Pakistan entered the series eighth in the standings, having won two of their first six matches in the current championship cycle.
The second Test begins at Lord’s on August 27, followed by the series finale at Edgbaston from September 9.
For Pakistan, Babar’s potential return would provide an important boost, but Salman stressed that the wider challenge is improving the team’s standard of performance away from home after a Headingley display he acknowledged was well below expectations.
