Agha Salman stresses consistency after Pakistan’s defeat in Champions Trophy's opener

Pakistan’s ODI vice-captain Agha Salman expressed disappointment over the team’s recent loss against New Zealand, suggesting that the match could have had a different outcome if Fakhar Zaman had opened the innings.

Speaking at a post-match press conference on Wednesday, Salman emphasized the importance of building strong starts and maintaining consistency in performances.

“If Fakhar had opened today, the powerplay score could have been different. But today wasn’t our day, and that’s why we lost the match,” Salman remarked. 

Salman stressed that Pakistan must improve its ability to play big innings, acknowledging that this weakness had cost them not only the current match but also previous encounters.

 “We need to play big innings—both today and in previous matches, we haven’t done that,” he admitted.

 “We cannot afford to be inconsistent—playing one bad game and then one good game won’t help. 

If we want to be counted among the best teams, we must win matches consistently,” he asserted.

He also pointed out that the lack of momentum in the opening partnership significantly impacted the team’s ability to chase down New Zealand’s big total.

 “Our powerplay wasn’t played the way it should have been. Against South Africa, we had utilised the powerplay properly, and that allowed us to build strong partnerships,” he explained.

Despite the setback, Salman assured, “We will work on rectifying our mistakes in the upcoming matches,” he added.