Pakistan’s T20 captain Salman Ali Agha has said the team has learned valuable lessons from the Asia Cup setback and is fully focused on preparing for the upcoming T20 World Cup, 24NewsHD TV reported on Monday.
Speaking to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) digital platform ahead of the first T20I against South Africa, set to begin on Tuesday at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Agha described the current squad as “interesting and exciting,” highlighting the mix of returning players and fresh talent.
“I think we have a very interesting and exciting side, with a few comebacks and a few new faces as well. I am very excited to lead this team and we really hope to have a great series,” he said.
Praising Babar Azam’s return to the national squad, Agha noted, “Babar is a world-class player with experience of over a hundred T20 matches. His inclusion will greatly benefit the team.”
Reflecting on the Asia Cup campaign, the skipper said, “We’ve learned a lot from that experience. We always discuss our mistakes because we don’t want to repeat them. The focus now is on improving and getting ready for the World Cup.”
He further added, “Wherever we play, we study the ground conditions carefully and aim to score above the average total at that venue.”
Admitting that his own recent form had not been up to the mark, Agha said his priority is to contribute significantly to team victories. “My individual performance hasn’t been the best in the past few series, but my goal is to lead the team to wins,” he said.
Highlighting areas for improvement, the captain pointed out that the team must sharpen its death bowling and that batters should work on improving their strike rates.
He also mentioned that Abdul Samad, Hasan Nawaz, and Mohammad Nawaz will play key roles in the power-hitting department.
Salman reaffirmed, “My first priority remains batting, and I will try to lead from the front in the coming matches.”
Reporter: Rozina Ali