Salman Ali Agha shares what HBL PSL needs to compete globally

Pakistan’s T20 skipper Salman Ali Agha believes the long-term success of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) hinges not on foreign star power but on the emergence of local players as match-winners and household names.

In a candid conversation with ESPNcricinfo, Agha stressed that the sustainability of the league requires a shift in focus toward nurturing domestic talent.

“No league can grow without local players stepping up,” he said. “ Foreign players may be available some years and not others—but it’s the local players who truly elevate a league.”

Drawing parallels with elite global competitions, he added, “In the top five leagues, their local players have a huge role. So if we step up, this league can grow.”

Agha, once overlooked in the national setup, has since become one of Pakistan’s most dependable all-format players. His rise to prominence began with consistent performances in the Test arena, eventually leading to his appointment as the national T20 captain in 2025.

Reflecting on his journey, the middle-order stalwart acknowledged the rigorous self-improvement required to succeed at the international level.

“I've worked on my game a lot. I knew if I wanted to become a three-format player, what work I needed to put in, and what aspects of my game I needed to work on,” he said.

“In international cricket, if you're doing well, it doesn't happen by accident. You have to raise your level and adopt new skills. And when I put that work in, I began to see results.”

Agha attributed his maturity and composure under pressure to the invaluable experience gained through Pakistan’s domestic circuit.

“[My success] is a mixture of two things: belief in my game and experience in first-class cricket,” he explained. “I think you should have two-three seasons, 30-40 games in first-class cricket. It helps you in international cricket, because what you encounter there, you will have faced in some form in first-class cricket. If you're thrown straight into international cricket, it's harder to cope.”

As he leads a new generation of cricketers, Agha continues to advocate for developing core skills and long-term consistency over fleeting moments of brilliance. “In international cricket, if you're doing well, it doesn't happen by accident,” he reiterated. “You have to raise your level and adopt new skills.”