In the T20 tri-series leading up to the Asia Cup, Pakistan suffered a defeat against Afghanistan. After the match, captain Salman Ali Agha shared his perspective, creating a sympathetic response. Agha felt the target was within reach and could have been chased. This prompts the question: why did Pakistan lose when victory was seemingly possible? The captain had previously shown his disapproval when a journalist described Afghanistan as Asia’s second-best T20 team. The defeat on September 2nd possibly brought a sense of realization.
Following the loss to Afghanistan, Salman Agha detailed that the 170-run target set by Afghanistan was achievable. He noted that the team lost wickets in the middle overs, which prevented them from reaching the target. He pointed out their positive performance in the first eight overs but highlighted the wicket losses in the succeeding overs. Agha suggested that if they hadn’t lost wickets in the middle overs, the result might have been different.
Of the six bowlers Pakistan utilized, only two managed to take wickets. Faheem Ashraf took four wickets, and Sam Ayub took one. The other bowlers did not succeed in taking wickets. However, Agha acknowledged his bowlers’ efforts, praising their performance.
In the match, Afghanistan, batting first, scored 169 runs for five wickets in 20 overs. Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal each scored half-centuries. Pakistan, in response, managed to score 151 runs for nine wickets. Their batting performance was poor, with Haris Rauf, batting at number 10, being the top scorer with 34 runs.