The T20 tri-series, a warm-up event before the Asia Cup, witnessed a significant setback for Pakistan as they were defeated by Afghanistan. Following this loss, captain Salman Ali Agha’s remarks have drawn attention. He expressed that the target set by Afghanistan was achievable, yet Pakistan faltered. This begs the question: if victory was within reach, what led to the team’s failure? This follows an earlier incident where Salman Ali Agha’s demeanor visibly changed during a press conference when a journalist placed Afghanistan second in Asian T20 rankings. The September 2nd match result likely brought a realization.
What was said after the loss to Afghanistan? Salman Agha stated that the 170-run target set by Afghanistan was within Pakistan’s reach. He pointed out that the team lost crucial wickets during the middle overs, which contributed to their inability to chase the score. He mentioned that they played well in the initial eight overs. However, the following overs saw a series of lost wickets. Agha indicated that without the middle-over wickets, the match’s result could have swung in their favor.
Despite six bowlers being used, only two managed to take wickets. Faheem Ashraf took 4 wickets, while Sam Ayub secured one. Other bowlers did not contribute with wickets, but Agha still praised the bowlers, acknowledging their effort.
Afghanistan, batting first, scored 169 runs for 5 wickets in 20 overs. Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal each scored half-centuries. Pakistan, in response, managed 151 runs for 9 wickets, with their batting collapsing. Haris Rauf, batting at number 10, emerged as the top scorer for Pakistan with 34 runs.