He admitted that Pakistan’s batting faltered at crucial stages despite a solid start
Sharjah
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha admitted his team only had themselves to blame after suffering their first defeat of the tri-nation T20I series on Tuesday night, going down to Afghanistan by 18 runs at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Opting to bat first, Afghanistan put up 169/5 in their 20 overs, thanks largely to a superb 113-run stand for the second wicket between Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal. Despite early pressure when Saim Ayub removed Rahmanullah Gurbaz for just 8, Afghanistan regrouped. Zadran’s 65 off 45 balls and Atal’s 64 off 45 ensured the innings never lost momentum. Faheem Ashraf was the standout for Pakistan with career-best figures of 4/27, while Saim chipped in with one wicket.
Chasing 170, Pakistan looked in control at 60 for two in the eighth over, but a flurry of wickets in the middle phase shifted momentum firmly in Afghanistan’s favour. Eventually, the Men in Green could only muster 151/9, falling short by 18 runs. At the post-match presentation, Agha acknowledged that the game had been within reach before his side faltered.
“I think 170 was chaseable. The bowlers did well, but we lost too many wickets in the middle overs. At 60 for two after eight, we were in a good position but lost our way,” the captain said.
He praised Afghanistan’s spinners for tightening the screws, adding: “Against quality spinners, if you give them a sniff, they’ll take it. We still lost by only 18 runs — with better batting in the middle, it could’ve been a different story.”
