Salman Ali Agha, Pakistan’s captain has confirmed that he will be batting at No.3 in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. This will mark a significant shift in his batting position. He has been traditionally featured in lower half of the first six batters in Pakistan’s T20S. Promoting Agha at the top will give the Pakistan cricket team with an aggressive batsman at the top.
Strong Start Against Australia
Agha’s decision seems to be paying off. In the first T20I match against Australia in Lahore, he made a brisk score of 39 runs at no 3 and helped Pakistan win the game by a respectable margin of 22 runs at Gaddafi Stadium. His attacking approach gave a new life to Pakistan’s innings which ended at 168/8, after electing to bat first.
Explaining the reason for his moving up the order, Agha said that he anticipates playing a lot of spin in the power play in the World Cup and believes he can dominate the bowlers in such conditions. He confirmed that he will remain at no. 3 for the rest of the Australia series and beyond to the World Cup.
Impact on Batting Order
Agha’s promotion has the potential of reshaping the batting order of Pakistan. Former captain Babar Azam opened at No.4 in the same match with a score of 24 runs in 20 balls. Meanwhile, opener Saim Ayub opened the attack with an impressive 40 run knock. He was also awarded the player of the match.
Spin Dominance Seals Victory
While the batting played the foundational role in Pakistan’s win, it was the spin attack which sealed the win. Australia had lost 6 wickets to spin as they fell short in the chase. Agha said that he was confident in his bowling unit, saying it was always going to be competitive at a pitch which offered turn.
Australia Reflects on Defeat
Stand-in Australia captain Travis Head remained optimistic despite the loss. He acknowledged areas for improvement but highlighted positives ahead of the T20 World Cup, which begins on February 7.
Also read: Pakistan claim victory against Australia after seven years
