Salman Ali Agha Criticizes Powerplay Performance
The team's powerplay score of 22 was their lowest in six years, and the absence of Fakhar Zaman was deeply felt. Salman Ali Agha's comments have sparked a conversation about the team's strategy and selection, and it remains to be seen how the team will respond to these criticisms in their upcoming matches.
Pakistan's poor performance in the ICC Champions Trophy match against New Zealand has been criticized by former players and current all-rounder Salman Ali Agha, who pointed out the team's timid powerplay performance and delayed arrival of opener Fakhar Zaman as critical factors behind their loss.
The team's decision to send Saud Shakeel to open the innings and Babar Azam's defensive approach were also questioned by former players, including Wasim Akram, Basit Ali, Kamran Akmal, and Sikander Bakht. They expressed concerns about the team's chances of advancing in the tournament due to the lack of planning and strategy. Salman Ali Agha conceded that the team's cautious approach in the powerplay, scoring just 22 runs while losing two wickets, set a damaging tone for the rest of the match.
Salman emphasized the importance of Fakhar Zaman's role in the team, calling him Pakistan's "best powerplay utiliser," and noted that without him, Pakistan's top order crawled to their second-lowest powerplay score in the past two years. The team's inability to rotate the strike and convert 40s and 50s into bigger scores was a major concern, as they failed to build any significant partnerships. Salman scored a quick-fire 42 off 28 deliveries but was unable to build on the momentum.
Pakistan's coach highlighted the need for consistency to be among the best teams, and the team will need to address their batting woes to improve their chances of winning matches. With the team's poor start and inability to chase 321 runs against New Zealand, it is clear that significant changes are needed to turn their performance around.
