CHRISTCHURCH – Pakistan’s T20 Captain Salman Ali Agha felt the absence of Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub, calling them key players.
“Both FAkhar Zaman and Saim Ayub are recovering quickly and are expected to be available for upcoming series,” said Pakistan Captain Agha while addressing a press conference in Christchurch on Saturday.
Agha said the team is undergoing a new formation and is striving to build a strong combination, expressing confidence that Pakistan would play good cricket against New Zealand.
Salman Ali Agha acknowledged that Pakistani fans are disappointed because the team has not performed well recently. He admitted that neither did they meet the expectations of the fans nor played up to their own standards.
He was speaking at a press conference in Christchurch.
Salman emphasized that while it is a new team, it doesn’t mean it’s not a good team. He highlighted the presence of senior players and a solid team combination, stating that the squad has come to win and play quality cricket.
Regarding the Hagley Oval pitch, Salman noted that although it appears green, spinners would also get assistance. He praised Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf’s T20 performances but acknowledged the absence of Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub, considering them key players. He assured that both are recovering quickly and are expected to be available for upcoming series.
Salman Ali Agha also lauded Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, saying that they made significant contributions to Pakistan cricket. However, he reiterated the team’s efforts to form a new combination and mentioned that the playing XI for the first match has not been finalized yet.
It may be mention here that Pakistan and New Zealand will face off in the first T20 match on Sunday (tomorrow) at Hagley Oval, Christchurch.
