Pakistan Captain Salman Ali Agha Urges Team to Fix Middle Overs Batting Before India Clash in Asia Cup
Dubai: Pakistan’s cricket team captain Salman Ali Agha is pushing his players to step up their batting game, especially in the crucial middle overs. This comes as they prepare for a thrilling Asia Cup Super Four match against arch-rivals India on September 21. The high-pressure game could define their tournament run.
Agha’s words follow Pakistan’s solid 41-run win over UAE, which punched their ticket to the Super Four stage. But the victory exposed some ongoing issues with their batting lineup. "We got the job done, but we needed to bat better in the middle overs," Agha said after the match. He praised the bowlers for stepping up but admitted the batters haven’t clicked yet. "If we batted well, we could have reached 170-180 runs," he added.
In that UAE game, Pakistan scraped to 146/9, thanks to a fiery late knock from Shaheen Shah Afridi. The star pacer smashed an unbeaten 29 off just 14 balls to bail them out. However, the top and middle order struggled again. Opener Saim Ayub has scored zero runs in three matches, and even Agha couldn’t dominate the middle phase.
Agha stressed that fixing overs 7 to 15 is key to posting competitive totals in Asia Cup matches. "We’re ready for any challenge," he said confidently. "If we play good cricket like we have in recent months, we can beat any side." He highlighted Shaheen’s all-round growth and spinner Abrar Ahmed’s game-changing spells, which have pulled Pakistan back from tough spots.
The India-Pakistan rivalry adds extra spice to this Super Four clash. Their last meeting in the group stage saw India chase down the target with seven wickets in hand. But the win sparked controversy when the Indian team skipped the post-match handshake. Many linked it to political tensions after the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year, fueling the "no-handshake controversy" and intensifying the bad blood.
Now, with both teams in the Super Four, Pakistan knows they need a stronger batting show to tackle India’s sharp bowling attack. Agha wrapped up by saying, "We just want to play good cricket. If we do that, we can shine against anyone."
Cricket fans are buzzing about this India vs Pakistan Asia Cup showdown. Will Pakistan sort their batting woes in time? Stay tuned for updates on the Asia Cup 2023.
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