Pakistan suffered a resounding defeat at the hands of Afghanistan in the T20 tri-series leading up to the Asia Cup. Following the loss, Pakistan’s captain, Salman Ali Agha, shared comments that evoke a sense of empathy. According to the captain, the target set was not insurmountable and could have been achieved. This raises the question: if everything was within Pakistan’s reach, why did the team lose? This same Salman Ali Agha had shown visible displeasure during a pre-series press conference when a journalist labeled Afghanistan as the second-best Asian T20 team. However, after the defeat on September 2nd, he may have realized the gravity of the situation.
What is the benefit of such statements after the defeat? Let’s delve into what Salman Agha said following Pakistan’s loss to Afghanistan. He stated that the target of 170 runs set by Afghanistan was chaseable. However, this did not happen because Pakistan lost several wickets in the middle overs. He mentioned that they played well until the 8th over, but then lost many wickets in the subsequent 5-6 overs. Agha believes that if they hadn’t lost wickets in the middle overs, the match’s outcome could have favored them.
Out of the six bowlers Pakistan used in the match against Afghanistan, only two managed to take wickets. Faheem Ashraf was the most successful bowler with 4 wickets, and Sam Ayub took one wicket. The other bowlers failed to secure any wickets for the team. Despite this, Salman Agha praised his bowlers, acknowledging that they bowled well.
Regarding the match, Afghanistan, batting first, scored 169 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 20 overs. Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal from Afghanistan once again scored half-centuries in the series. In response, Pakistan, chasing 170 runs, could only manage 151 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in 20 overs. Their batting performance was a complete failure. The top scorer for the Pakistan team in this match was Haris Rauf, who came in at number 10 and scored 34 runs.