Salman Mirza, a 31-year-old left-arm pacer from Lahore who only made his Pakistan T20I debut in July 2025, has announced his ambition to represent the country at the 2027 ODI World Cup, to be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Despite his late start in professional cricket — he transitioned from tape-ball street cricket after joining Lahore Qalandars' (a Pakistan Super League franchise) player development programme in 2021 — Mirza claimed 23 wickets in 17 T20Is at an average of 16.13, including a match-winning 3-14 against South Africa, before featuring in Pakistan's 2026 T20 World Cup campaign in Sri Lanka.