Salman Ali Agha on Pakistan's 60-run New Zealand defeat

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Salman Ali Agha on Pakistan's 60-run New Zealand defeat  19/02/2025  ICC25

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00:00Q. Salman, Pakistan's difference was of 60 runs, but we are seeing more small contributions.

00:14We saw this in the last Triangular Series, and it happened again today.

00:18So where is our batting lagging? Why are we not able to make big innings, big partnerships?

00:24You are absolutely right.

00:26In today's and previous matches, we will have to convert our 50s and 40s into big innings.

00:34Otherwise, we won't be able to win matches like we did today.

00:37So I think we will have to do a better strike-rotate.

00:42That builds the innings. So that is something we will have to look at in the future.

00:53Q. Salman, you played Harish Rauf in Pakistan. You said he was fit, and then he bowled.

00:58But he gave the most runs. Can you tell us if he was 100% fit, or was he forced to play?

01:05He was 100% fit. Bowling being good or bad is a different thing.

01:09But he was 100% fit with his physio. He bowled yesterday and the day before.

01:13I think he was 100% fit.

01:17Q. Salman, how long will this non-continuity stay in the Pakistan team?

01:21One day, we chase 350 runs. The next day, we collapse.

01:28One day, we bat, and the next day, we collapse.

01:32How is this non-continuity and inconsistency in the Pakistan team?

01:38I think the one-minute-up, one-minute-down thing should end now.

01:41There should be some continuity at this level.

01:45Yes, there should be consistency.

01:47If we want to beat the best teams in the world, we have to have consistency.

01:53We can't play one bad match or one good match.

01:56We have to play better with consistency if we want to compete with the world.

01:59We will try to focus on this in the future.

02:03Q. Salman, when you started the match, you won the toss and went for the fielding and then the run chase.

02:09You had three outs at 73, and you were down to 320.

02:12When you were discussing the match, what was the score in your mind?

02:18You chased 350 runs, but New Zealand's team is probably better than that bowling lane.

02:23We tried not to go above 270-280 or maximum 300 runs.

02:30It was such a pace that you can chase around 300 runs if you have a good start.

02:35But we couldn't have a good start in batting, which is why we couldn't create momentum.

02:39That's why we couldn't score so many runs.

02:42Q. Salman, as you said, we are not able to execute and we are not able to turn a small league into a big league.

02:47What was Babar Azam's game plan?

02:49He didn't bowl 64 runs at 90.

02:52You bowled 42 at 29, Khujdil bowled 69 at 49, and Pakistan's team is losing by 60 runs.

02:58If you and Khujdil's performance was shown, the deficit of runs would have been higher.

03:04So what was Babar Azam's game plan?

03:07I think if you look at the full league, there was no momentum.

03:11When you are chasing 320 runs, you have to create a partnership and you need momentum.

03:16We couldn't do that. The wickets kept falling and we couldn't play as well as we should have.

03:22I think that's why we couldn't win.

03:25If you are chasing 320 runs, you have to create a good partnership and create momentum in the game.

03:32We couldn't do that in this match.

03:34If we don't do that, it will be difficult to chase 320 runs.

03:37Salman, when you came to Pakistan, you had a momentum.

03:40Pakistan's lowest powerplay score in the last 5 years.

03:43You came and bowled 42 runs at 28.

03:45Did you have an expectation that you will have to take an extra risk if you don't do well in the first 10 overs?

03:52As I said earlier, we couldn't do powerplay like that.

03:56You can say that Fakhar's absence is also a point.

04:00In the last 5-6 years, or even more than that,

04:03Fakhar is one of the best powerplayers in the last 5-6 years.

04:11That is also a fact.

04:13If he had played powerplay, our run would have been different.

04:16If we didn't have 30 runs in powerplay,

04:21I had an idea that I would have to bowl one ball and take a risk.

04:29I took a high risk.

04:30But I still think that I could have extended the screening.

04:34You never know.

04:35If I had extended the screening, the result could have been anything.

04:38Salman, yesterday at the press conference, the captain said that there is a lack of professionalism in the Pakistan team.

04:44And we are lagging 1-8% from winning.

04:48How do you see this statement?

04:50What will you say on this?

04:53If you talk about professionalism, it comes from consistency.

04:58We are not able to perform consistently.

05:01We win one match and then lose another.

05:03If you want to be in any team in the world, or to be in a good team,

05:06or if you want to beat them continuously,

05:08then you have to have consistency.

05:10That is a discipline that we need to work on.

05:14Salman, in the tri-nation series at the National Stadium in Karachi,

05:17you chased the highest.

05:19In the meantime, you formed a partnership with Rizwan.

05:22And today you had a partnership with Babar.

05:24What do you think was the reason that you were not able to go long?

05:28Today and that day you went long.

05:30Was the communication good that day?

05:32Or what was the situation with Babar?

05:34On one hand, the end was slow.

05:36So you had to take more risks today.

05:39That day's powerplay and today's powerplay are very different.

05:42That day we made 80 plus runs in powerplay,

05:44even though we lost two wickets.

05:46When you are chasing 320, powerplay is very important.

05:51But at the end of the day, it's the same thing.

05:53Because our proud generation, who have been utilizing powerplay for the past 5-6 years,

05:57unfortunately they were not able to get batting in powerplay.

06:00Because of the incident that happened with them.

06:02So this is one reason you can say.

06:04Salman, the third consecutive defeat against New Zealand.

06:07One more defeat and one more disappointment.

06:09How do you look at this?

06:11Where did you make mistakes?

06:12It's not like we are depending too much on the proud generation.

06:14There are other players as well.

06:16In the first 10 overs, there were only 60 runs.

06:18Also tell us, you have the next match against India.

06:21And there is no room for mistakes.

06:23So how much will the fitness of the proud generation matter?

06:27Our game was not good.

06:29We didn't perform well in bowling and batting.

06:32We had a day off in the cricket field.

06:35We didn't perform the way we should have.

06:40This is part of the game.

06:42We will forget it as soon as possible.

06:44And we will focus on the next match.

06:46Every day is a new day.

06:47It's a match against India.

06:48It's a big game.

06:49But we will try to execute that game in a better way.

06:57I don't have an idea about the proud generation yet.

06:59They will get their scans soon.

07:01You will get to know that.

07:05We didn't have a good start in batting.

07:08But what will you say about the death overs?

07:11Pakistan has consistently given 113 runs in 10 overs.

07:15If we compare the spinners with other teams,

07:18like New Zealand,

07:20they are not able to make an impact in the innings.

07:22They are not able to take a wicket in the middle overs.

07:24Or at least they are not able to stop it.

07:26What will you say about that?

07:27These are the areas that are concerning.

07:30We also have an idea about it.

07:32We are trying to improve it.

07:34We need to work on it.

07:36We will try to improve it in the future.

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