Salman Ali Agha’s wife raises concerns over raising children in Pakistan

Pakistan National Cricket Team captain Salman Ali Agha’s wife has spoken about the safety of children in Pakistan, saying that raising children in the country has become a major concern. Salman Ali Agha’s wife's remarks came amid fresh data highlighting the scale of reported child abuse cases across Pakistan.

In the first six months of 2026, 1,914 child abuse cases were reported across the country, according to data from child protection organisation Sahil. The figure included 1,015 cases of child sexual abuse, 558 abductions, 101 missing-child cases and 35 child marriages.

Salman Ali Agha’s wife posts about safety concerns for children in Pakistan

Salman Ali Agha’s wife, Sabba Manzer, shared her concerns through an Instagram story, focusing on the safety of children irrespective of their gender.

"Right now the scariest thing in the world is to be raising a child/children in Pakistan. Girls or boys; predators have no preference," Salman Ali Agha's wife posted on Instagram.

Salman Ali Agha’s wife Instagram story. pic.twitter.com/yaKdsm8YNV

— Sheri. (@CallMeSheri1_) August 26, 2026

Her comments come against a troubling backdrop. Pakistan recorded 3,630 reported child abuse cases in 2025, an increase of 8% from the previous year. The data showed 1,924 girls and 1,625 boys among the reported victims, highlighting that children of both genders were affected.

Figures from January to June 2026 show that the issue has continued. Girls represented 58% of the reported victims, while boys accounted for 42%. Children aged between 11 and 15 were the largest affected age group, with 598 reported cases.

The latest report also found that alleged perpetrators were acquaintances in 43% of cases, while 34% involved strangers. Nearly half of the reported incidents took place at the victim's home.

Babar Azam to replace Salman Ali Agha as captain for 2nd Test vs England

Salman Ali Agha captained Pakistan in the first Test against England in Babar Azam's absence. Babar missed the Headingley Test because of a finger injury, with Pakistan suffering an innings-and-103-run defeat.

Babar has now recovered sufficiently to return for the second Test at Lord's, which begins on August 27. He said before the match that he was around 90% fit after completing practice sessions.

His return gives Pakistan an experienced option in the middle order as they look to level the three-match series. Babar's availability is particularly important after Pakistan's batting struggled at Headingley, where they were unable to sustain partnerships once their opening stand was broken.

You need to produce complete team performances - Babar Azam on 1st Test loss to England

Babar acknowledged that Pakistan were below their required standard during the first Test and said improvement would have to come across the team rather than from one player. He said:

"You need to produce complete team performances. You have to bowl and bat in partnerships. And you have to take it deep as a batter if you're set."

Babar Azam also stressed the need to prevent clusters of wickets and called on Pakistan's senior batters to take greater responsibility.

Abdullah Shafique is expected to retain his position in the middle order after making a positive start to his recent run of matches. Babar indicated that Shafique should continue batting at the position where he has built confidence rather than being moved up the order.

Pakistan will now look to put the Headingley defeat behind them and produce a more complete performance in the second Test.