- Agha emphasizes the importance of consistency in the players’ performance.
- Points to bad start, Powerplay disaster as central causes of defeat.
- Agha promises to leave losses and prepare for India Challenge.
Karachi: Pakistan Allrounder Salman Ali Agha emphasized the importance of converting starting to big scores and maintaining the consistency after his team’s defeat against New Zealand in the opening match for the ICC Champions Trophy on Wednesday.
When he spoke at a press conference, Agha admitted that Pakistan fell short in all departments, but promised to re-group for their decisive upcoming match against Arch-Rival’s India.
“We have to convert our 30s and 40s to bigger scores,” Agha said. “If we want to become one of the best teams in the world, we have to bring consistency into our performances.”
As he chased a goal of 321, Pakistan fought to build partnerships and momentum through their laps. Agha pointed out the team’s failure to exploit batting-friendly conditions.
“At this wicket, 300-plus was achievable, but we didn’t get a good start in batting. We couldn’t build partnerships or momentum, and our powerplay performance was also under pari, ”he said.
The absence of the opening Fakhar Zaman, who could not take his regular position at the top of the order, further bulky Pakistan’s race hunting. “Fakhar’s absence at the start affected our powerplay. Had he been there, our start and subsequent position could have been different, ”Agha added.
After reflecting on his own performance, Agha acknowledged that he could have expanded his laps to make more influence. “I could have played a longer lap. If I had stayed longer, the result could have been different, ”he said.
Agha emphasized the importance of improving powerplay performances, especially when chasing large totals. “To chase 320, you have to do well in the powerplay. Today we did not do well in any department and could not meet expectations, ”he admitted.
Despite the loss, Agha remained focused on the next challenge: a high-stakes match against India. “We will put this fight behind us and take the field with full determination to the India game,” he said.
Agha also highlighted the need for continuous improvement to compete with the world’s best team. “To beat top teams in the world, we have to play well consistently,” he said.
