Salman Agha scores unbeaten 300 in domestic cricket after England axe
Pakistan all-rounder Salman Agha has responded to his Test axing with a career-best unbeaten 300 for Kingsmen Academy in the President's Trophy Grade I, smashing 42 fours and six sixes in a remarkable return to domestic cricket.
Yousef Al Marzouqi
Salman Agha scores unbeaten 300 in domestic cricket after England axe
Pakistan all-rounder Salman Ali Agha has delivered a resounding response to his Test series axing, scoring an unbeaten 300 for Kingsmen Academy against Markhor IT Solutions in the President's Trophy Grade I at Abbottabad.
The triple century represents a remarkable turnaround for the 28-year-old, who just weeks earlier had been sent home from England after a disastrous Test series that saw him dropped from the national squad.
Salman's innings spanned 336 balls and included 42 fours and six sixes, helping Kingsmen declare on 565 for seven. Muhammad Suleman contributed 115 runs, with the pair adding 274 runs in a commanding partnership.
The knock represents by far the biggest score of Salman's first-class career. His previous highest was 169, and he had reached 17 first-class centuries without ever making a double century. Now he has surged past 200 and reached the rare milestone of 300.
From captaincy to crisis
The context makes this innings particularly significant. Salman became Pakistan's 36th Test captain when he led the team in the opening Test against England at Headingley on 19 August 2026, standing in for regular captain Babar Azam who was injured during a warm-up match.
However, the captaincy assignment proved disastrous. Pakistan were thrashed by an innings and 103 runs at Leeds, with Salman managing just 21 runs in the first innings and four in the second as Pakistan posted totals of 171 and 135. England went on to complete a 3-0 series whitewash.
Salman's struggles extended beyond that match. He accumulated only 45 runs across five innings in his last three Tests before being dropped, a dramatic collapse in form for a player who had made 28 Test appearances since his debut in July 2022.
When Babar Azam returned for the second Test at Lord's, Salman was dropped from the playing XI. His situation worsened before the third Test at Edgbaston, when he was among seven players and two coaches released from the squad and sent home early from England.
The tour ended with Pakistan's defeat at Edgbaston marking their 16th loss in the last 21 Test matches, highlighting an extended period of poor form that prompted widespread changes.
Redemption in domestic cricket
Returning to Pakistan's domestic structure, Salman has shown exactly the kind of response expected from an international player fighting to regain his place. The President's Trophy Grade I, refounded in 2023-24 after a revamp of Pakistan's domestic structure, features eight departmental teams competing in a round-robin format.
While Markhor IT Solutions are an inexperienced team at this level, and scoring runs in domestic cricket does not automatically warrant international selection, Salman has demonstrated the mental fortitude to spend a long time at the crease and rebuild his confidence.
This is not the first time Salman has shown his quality. He was named Player of the Series when Pakistan swept Sri Lanka 2-0 away in 2023, scoring 221 runs for just one dismissal in what was described as Pakistan's most impressive Test series performance of the decade. His Test career statistics before the England series showed 1,708 runs at an average of 36.34 with three centuries and 12 fifties across 28 Tests.
Triple centuries remain exceptionally rare in Pakistani cricket. Only four batsmen have achieved the feat in Test cricket for Pakistan: Hanif Mohammad (337), Inzamam-ul-Haq (329), Younis Khan (313), and Azhar Ali (302), with the most recent being Azhar Ali in 2016.
While Salman's 300 came in domestic rather than international cricket, it represents the kind of performance needed from a player looking to force his way back into contention. Spending significant time at the crease, rebuilding form and confidence through weight of runs, remains the traditional path back to the national team.
Whether this innings proves to be the catalyst for a return to Pakistan's Test side remains to be seen, but Salman has at least shown he retains the ability to score heavily when given the opportunity.
