Salman Agha left out of Pakistan XI for second Test at Lord’s

On August 30, 2026, Pakistan are playing England in the second Test of the series at Lord’s, London, and Salman Agha is not named in Pakistan’s playing XI for the match.

Pakistan arrive at Lord’s after a heavy defeat at Headingley, where they lost by an innings and 103 runs; Salman Agha captained the side in Babar Azam’s absence in that first Test. The article notes Pakistan’s last SENA win came in 2018 at Lord’s, and the visitors will attempt to end an eight-year wait at the ground.

The team made a single change for the second Test: Babar Azam returned to the XI and Salman Agha was omitted. The visitors won the rain-delayed toss at Lord’s and elected to bowl first.

The selectors’ decision is attributed to form: "Salman Agha has been dropped from the Pakistan XI after a poor run of form," the report states. It adds, "In his last three matches, Salman has scored 20, 0, 0, 21 and 4, and it has been a consistent pattern in his Test career," and that "In the 28 Test matches Salman has played for Pakistan, he averages only 36."

Despite leading the side at Headingley, the piece says Salman "couldn’t do anything significant, and Pakistan suffered one of their worst losses." That assessment is cited as part of the explanation for his omission from the playing XI.

Although omitted, Salman remained involved on the field as a substitute fielder and "caught a stunner to dismiss Jordan Cox with a stunning diving slip catch." The report also states Pakistan "won a great toss in overcast conditions, and so far, they have done well against the English batters."

The article records fans’ and supporters’ hopes: "fans will hope the Pakistani batters can bat long enough and give them a moment of joy," and "Agha’s supporters would also want him to make a turnaround and earn his place back in the team."

The second England vs Pakistan Test is being played at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, England. Pakistan made one change to their playing XI for the second Test, as Babar Azam returned in place of Salman Ali Agha.