Salman Ali Agha Points Out Pakistan’s Key Weakness After Narrow Win Against Zimbabwe
Nov 19, 2025 | 9:58 am
Pakistan’s T20I captain Salman Ali Agha has highlighted the team’s slow starts in powerplay overs as their biggest concern, urging his side to adopt a more “ruthless” approach after a tight five-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the opening match of the T20I tri-series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Zimbabwe’s young opening duo, Tadiwanashe Marumani and Brian Bennett, took an aggressive start, racing to 59 without loss inside six overs — their second-highest powerplay score against Pakistan in T20Is. Pakistan eventually regained control once the field restrictions eased, holding Zimbabwe to 147/8 on a challenging surface.
During Pakistan’s chase, the top order once again struggled, slipping to 31/3 in the powerplay before Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan, and Mohammad Nawaz steadied the innings to guide the team home. Despite the win, the performance left the captain with areas for improvement.
Speaking after the match, Salman Ali Agha said the team’s struggles at the beginning of both innings nearly cost them the game.
“It was a close match. We didn’t start well — with the ball or the bat — and when you don’t begin strongly, things can get tight,” he said.
He praised the spin attack for shifting the momentum and added that the team had expected a low-scoring contest after assessing the conditions earlier.
However, he stressed that Pakistan must address their recurring issue immediately.
“We need to start well — whether bowling or batting. In the powerplay, we have to be ruthless. That’s something I will discuss with the boys,” the captain added.
Pakistan’s batting inconsistency has been a talking point throughout 2025, and with the T20 World Cup approaching, the team will need to find solutions quickly. Their next challenge will be against Sri Lanka on Saturday at the same venue, where a strong powerplay performance will be crucial to avoid more close contests.
