Salman Ali Agha’s life as a Pakistan player has come full circle.

Across a torrid 18 months, Salman has donned the T20I captaincy crown, had it snatched away, endured a dip in his Test form, and been unceremoniously discarded from the format.

During this very period, he returned to domestic cricket, amassed nearly 600 runs before hitting his fourth One-day International century — his third in 10 matches — to help Pakistan to a 37-run win over Sri Lanka in the tri-series opener on Sunday.

The 32-year-old performed a unique celebration after reaching the 100-run mark, placing his index finger at the corner of his right eye.

The act drew questions about whether it was meant to “deliver a message”.

“I don’t have that much time to prove anyone wrong or make a gesture directed at someone,” Salman said at the post-match press conference.

“I love my cricket. I love batting, and I love playing for Pakistan. That’s what I do.

“The celebration was just for my son. I have nothing to do with anything else.”

Before making his Pakistan Test debut in 2022, Salman was a seasoned campaigner on the country’s domestic cricket circuit.

In 18 matches since the 2019-20 season of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy — Pakistan’s premier domestic competition — the right-hander had scored 1,629 runs at a healthy average of 56.19.

He had smashed five centuries and eight half-centuries by then, while his off-spin had snared 25 wickets.

Salman then went on to establish a decent Test and ODI career, maintaining an average of more than 44 in the latter format. In Tests, however, his recent form has been a matter of concern.

But when the going gets tough for the right-hander, he looks to domestic cricket to get going again.

“My century today has come after going back to domestic cricket, playing five matches, scoring runs and rediscovering the things I had been missing,” Salman said.

Salman marked his latest return to the circuit with a 300-run knock before piling on more runs, a feat that went under-celebrated, according to him, despite other Pakistan mainstays failing to deliver in the ongoing President’s Trophy season.

“I think we don’t give domestic cricket enough respect,” he complained. “When people score runs in domestic cricket, we tend to think that it’s quite easy to do so. But scoring runs there isn’t easy.

“The conditions aren’t necessarily so favourable that you can simply go there and score runs.”

After establishing himself as a Pakistan mainstay in the ODI and Test formats, the batter was appointed captain of the national T20 side in March last year.

He led Pakistan to the 2025 Asia Cup final and through a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign in February-March this year.

Across the three Tests he played against the West Indies and England this summer, Salman managed a mere 45 runs before becoming one of seven Pakistan players called back home from England mid-tour following Pakistan’s defeat in the second Test.

Last month, he was replaced by Sahibzada Farhan as Pakistan’s T20 captain, also losing his place in the side.

Salman said returning to his roots in domestic cricket had helped him regain his footing.

“You could say that during my struggles in the West Indies and England, sometimes the things happening around you affect you, and your love for the game can diminish a little,” Salman said in an interview with the broadcaster after the tri-series opener.

“I think one of the reasons I wasn’t performing was that my love for the game had reduced somewhat.

“When I went back to domestic cricket, I spent time with the people who were still playing there, including old friends I had played alongside before.

“I stayed in the same hotels with them and went out to eat with them.

“I think those experiences help bring you back down to earth and keep you grounded. Those things are very important.”