Pakistan captain Salman Agha admitted his team still needs improvement after their six-wicket loss to India in the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Salman Agha reflected on missed opportunities and said Pakistan is edging closer to playing a “perfect game.” He pointed to Fakhar Zaman’s dismissal, suggesting the umpire may have made an error.
“I think the ball touched the ground before going to the keeper,” Agha said. “If Fakhar had batted through the powerplay, we could have reached 190.”
The captain acknowledged that Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan gave Pakistan a solid start but admitted India took control early. “Their batsmen made the match one-sided in the first six overs,” he said. “We could have scored 10–15 more runs. While 171 was a good total, it felt slightly short. The difference was India’s batting in the powerplay.”
Agha added that 170–180 is usually competitive in Dubai but said Pakistan’s bowling in the powerplay lacked discipline. He also noted that fielding errors and tougher batting conditions after the ball softened hurt Pakistan’s performance.
Despite the defeat, Salman Agha praised Haris Rauf and Faheem Ashraf for keeping pressure on India during the middle overs. He also highlighted Hussain Talat’s ability to play spin as a strength for future games.
“There are many positives — Fakhar batted well, Farhan batted well, and Harry bowled with control,” he said. “We are yet to play a perfect game, but we are moving closer. Now we look forward to facing Sri Lanka.”
Pakistan’s back-to-back defeats to India underline areas needing improvement, but the captain remains hopeful that the team will peak at the right time.
In other related news also read Haris Rauf Praises Salman Ali Agha’s Leadership
