Salman Ali Agha speaking during a press conference ahead of the T20 series opener against New Zealand:
About the fans' expectations:
“They are naturally a bit disappointed because we haven't played the kind of cricket they expect from us, or even what we expect from ourselves. That said, our side has a mix of young and experienced players, and this doesn’t mean we are not a good team. We’re here to win, and our goal is to leave this series as victors.”
About the conditions and Playing 11:
“The wicket does look green, but I believe there will also be some help for spinners. This ground, being one of the few in New Zealand with proper boundaries, will likely see spinners playing a significant role. As for the playing XI, we haven’t finalized it yet, but we will decide before taking the field.”
About the role of Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi:
“Their current T20 form is better than in ODIs. A bad patch can come upon any player. Both Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi are outstanding bowlers. Their experience and skills will be pivotal for us in this series.”
About missing Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, and Saim Ayub:
“Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan’s performances have been brilliant for Pakistan but we are trying to make new combination. Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub are players who can win matches on their own. Their progress has been good, and we hope they will return in the next series. The effort is to build a new combination and move forward with it.”
About building a team for the upcoming tournaments like the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup:
“Asia Cup and T20 World Cup are our primary goals, and this series, as well as the upcoming ones, are part of our preparations. While the larger objective is to build a team for these tournaments, we are treating these matches as an opportunity to refine ourselves for the upcoming tournaments.”
but not a leg break
They are Misbah’s successors.
