- Joined
- Nov 25, 2023
- Runs
- 22,436
Salman Ali Agha shared following thoughts in the post match presser today:
Batting Performance and Team Strategy
On the Batting Performance
* "Yes, we weren't that good in the first match; we couldn't perform. But in the second match, and even today, we played comprehensively. Batting is one thing, but it's the bowling that can hold them to a score that is under par."
* "I think for us, both matches turned out to be an easy chase."
* "When we sit in meetings, the plan is that if we're batting first, we'll try to reach a score that is above the par score. When we bowl first, the team's aim is to keep them to a score under par."
On Player Combinations and Bench Strength
* "I don't think the combination will change, but players are changing. The roles remain the same."
* "We try to replicate the same roles; Usman also opened, and we know our combination instead of Iftikhar. But yes, we do like to keep changing because we have about 14-15 games in the next 20-25 days that we need to try things in. The main thing is to keep our players fresh. Alhamdulillah, we have built up our bench strength now, so anyone who comes in, like Salman, performs. You've seen his performance in both matches."
On Fielding Strategy
* "Sir, have you seen the ground? It looks like an ocean. The reason for that is the heavy dew that falls after the first 10 overs of the first innings. That makes the decision very easy. Bowling with the dew later on is very difficult; you must have seen the other team struggle too."
Babar Azam's Form and Technique
On Babar's Performance
* "We are all very fond of Babar, and we're very happy for him. I'm sure the whole of Pakistan is happy for him. When the big games come, you see the big players step up, and that's exactly what he did today. I am very happy for him and truly hope that he continues this form. He knows what we expect from him over the next four or five years."
* "Sir, if he keeps playing in form, he can win us anything. If he comes in at number three and performs consistently, in virtually every other game, he can even win Pakistan the World Cup."
On Babar's Work Ethic and Adjustments
* "Sir, everyone knows about his batting; he has fans all over Pakistan. But what I am a huge fan of is his work ethic. The way he prepares, I haven't seen anyone prepare so well for international cricket over the last four years. Even when he wasn't performing, I saw that his preparation was excellent."
* "I think he's realized that he has to add new things to his own game, and I believe he is doing just that."
* "You saw that sweep shot which you wouldn't normally associate with him at first, but he played it and got six runs. He is understanding things, and as a big player, he has an idea about everything. I think he now wants to take his game to the next level.
Partnerships and Debut Performances
On the Partnership with Babar
* "Babar and I have known each other for a long time. We've played together since the Under-19s, even had a partnership in the Under-16 category, so we know each other well. When you know each other that well, once you're both at the crease, we just talk about how to take the game forward. At that point, we didn't need many runs; we just needed seven or eight runs, and we could have won the match even with singles and doubles. That’s what we were trying to do."
On Debutant Usman Tariq
* "And today, Usman Tariq came and bowled, and he bowled so well on his debut. It didn't even look like it was his debut. The way he bowled and delivered a tough 15th over—if he bowls the 17th over as well, I think it means he's turned out to be a very good combination for us at this time."
* "Usman, obviously, everyone goes through a phase when they debut. There are definitely nerves, even though he's performed well in world leagues. But International Cricket is a different level of pressure, and we were trying to help him control those nerves. Masha'Allah, he just got married and made such a good debut."
Team Morale and World Cup Preparation
On Team Morale and Recent Results
* "Sir, we lost the series to Bangladesh and played the Asia Cup final. So, there's definitely a narrative that the team's performance isn't great. But if you look at the facts, our winning ratio is 70%. Any team that is number one in the world has that kind of ratio."
On World Cup Pitch Adaptability
* "I don't think there will be 170 or 180 matches there; you'll see scores of 140 or 150. Yes, maybe initially, 160 or 170, but as you get to the business end, you will get matches like 140-150. I remember the 2012 or 2014 World Cup in Sri Lanka that West Indies won was similar; the end games were around 130-140. I don't think there will be major changes this time."
* "It depends on how the pitch is behaving. If the pitch is a 140-run pitch, then it would be foolish to try and make it a 180-190 score."
Batting Performance and Team StrategyOn the Batting Performance
* "Yes, we weren't that good in the first match; we couldn't perform. But in the second match, and even today, we played comprehensively. Batting is one thing, but it's the bowling that can hold them to a score that is under par."
* "I think for us, both matches turned out to be an easy chase."
* "When we sit in meetings, the plan is that if we're batting first, we'll try to reach a score that is above the par score. When we bowl first, the team's aim is to keep them to a score under par."
On Player Combinations and Bench Strength
* "I don't think the combination will change, but players are changing. The roles remain the same."
* "We try to replicate the same roles; Usman also opened, and we know our combination instead of Iftikhar. But yes, we do like to keep changing because we have about 14-15 games in the next 20-25 days that we need to try things in. The main thing is to keep our players fresh. Alhamdulillah, we have built up our bench strength now, so anyone who comes in, like Salman, performs. You've seen his performance in both matches."
On Fielding Strategy
* "Sir, have you seen the ground? It looks like an ocean. The reason for that is the heavy dew that falls after the first 10 overs of the first innings. That makes the decision very easy. Bowling with the dew later on is very difficult; you must have seen the other team struggle too."
Babar Azam's Form and TechniqueOn Babar's Performance
* "We are all very fond of Babar, and we're very happy for him. I'm sure the whole of Pakistan is happy for him. When the big games come, you see the big players step up, and that's exactly what he did today. I am very happy for him and truly hope that he continues this form. He knows what we expect from him over the next four or five years."
* "Sir, if he keeps playing in form, he can win us anything. If he comes in at number three and performs consistently, in virtually every other game, he can even win Pakistan the World Cup."
On Babar's Work Ethic and Adjustments
* "Sir, everyone knows about his batting; he has fans all over Pakistan. But what I am a huge fan of is his work ethic. The way he prepares, I haven't seen anyone prepare so well for international cricket over the last four years. Even when he wasn't performing, I saw that his preparation was excellent."
* "I think he's realized that he has to add new things to his own game, and I believe he is doing just that."
* "You saw that sweep shot which you wouldn't normally associate with him at first, but he played it and got six runs. He is understanding things, and as a big player, he has an idea about everything. I think he now wants to take his game to the next level.
Partnerships and Debut PerformancesOn the Partnership with Babar
* "Babar and I have known each other for a long time. We've played together since the Under-19s, even had a partnership in the Under-16 category, so we know each other well. When you know each other that well, once you're both at the crease, we just talk about how to take the game forward. At that point, we didn't need many runs; we just needed seven or eight runs, and we could have won the match even with singles and doubles. That’s what we were trying to do."
On Debutant Usman Tariq
* "And today, Usman Tariq came and bowled, and he bowled so well on his debut. It didn't even look like it was his debut. The way he bowled and delivered a tough 15th over—if he bowls the 17th over as well, I think it means he's turned out to be a very good combination for us at this time."
* "Usman, obviously, everyone goes through a phase when they debut. There are definitely nerves, even though he's performed well in world leagues. But International Cricket is a different level of pressure, and we were trying to help him control those nerves. Masha'Allah, he just got married and made such a good debut."
Team Morale and World Cup PreparationOn Team Morale and Recent Results
* "Sir, we lost the series to Bangladesh and played the Asia Cup final. So, there's definitely a narrative that the team's performance isn't great. But if you look at the facts, our winning ratio is 70%. Any team that is number one in the world has that kind of ratio."
On World Cup Pitch Adaptability
* "I don't think there will be 170 or 180 matches there; you'll see scores of 140 or 150. Yes, maybe initially, 160 or 170, but as you get to the business end, you will get matches like 140-150. I remember the 2012 or 2014 World Cup in Sri Lanka that West Indies won was similar; the end games were around 130-140. I don't think there will be major changes this time."
* "It depends on how the pitch is behaving. If the pitch is a 140-run pitch, then it would be foolish to try and make it a 180-190 score."
