Dubai : Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha urged his team to improve their batting in the middle overs ahead of the high-stakes Asia Cup Super Four clash against India on September 21.
He made the remarks after Pakistan’s 41-run victory over the UAE. The win secured their place in the next stage but highlighted continuing batting frailties.
“We got the job done, but we needed to bat better in the middle overs,” Agha said. “The bowlers performed well. We haven’t batted to our best yet. If we batted well, we could have scored 170-180. Shaheen is a match-winner. His batting has improved. Abrar has been outstanding. He brings us back into games. We are ready for any challenge. If we play good cricket, we can compete with any side.”
Pakistan scored only 146/9 against the UAE, saved by a late surge from Shaheen Shah Afridi, who remained unbeaten on 29 off 14 balls. The top and middle order failed to fire, with Saim Ayub yet to open his account in three matches and Agha himself struggling to dominate the middle overs.
The skipper emphasized that turning overs 7 to 15 into strong batting phases remains critical. “We just want to play good cricket… if we play well, we can be competitive against any team,” he added.
The upcoming clash with India carries added intensity. Their last meeting in the group stage ended in a seven-wicket Indian win, marred by a “no-handshake” incident linked to political tensions after the Pahalgam terror attack. With both sides in the Super Four, a sharper batting performance could determine whether Pakistan survives India’s bowling attack or suffers another setback.
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