Struggles in the middle-order, improvement required in batting performance, according to Salman Agha.
In a closely contested match, Pakistan emerged victorious against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by 41 runs. The Pakistani team, despite being restricted to a modest total of 146 for nine, managed to outperform their opponents thanks to a strong performance in the middle overs, a belief shared by team captain Salman Agha.
Agha expressed confidence in Pakistan's ability to score up to 170 against any opposition if they maintain their form in the middle overs. However, he also acknowledged concerns about the team's middle-order batting performance, an area that Pakistan needs to focus on for improvement.
The UAE's batting line-up, on the other hand, struggled after the 15th or 16th over, a phase that saw them lose three wickets in the powerplay. This setback proved to be a significant hurdle for the UAE, as they were unable to recover and ultimately fell short of the target.
UAE captain Muhammad Waseem praised his bowlers for their efforts in restricting Pakistan to a low total but admitted that poor batting was the primary reason for their defeat. Waseem also expressed hope that the middle order will perform better in upcoming tournaments, especially considering the learning experience gained from playing against strong teams like Pakistan and India.
Despite Pakistan's top-order, excluding Fakhar Zaman, failing to deliver in the match, contributions from Mohammad Haris and Shaheen Shah Afridi helped push the team's score to 146 for nine. The UAE captain, however, did not specifically name any players as part of a 'problem area' in the middle order for upcoming tournaments, but the team has notably experienced middle-order collapses in matches such as against India in the Asia Cup 2025. Key middle-order players like Muhammad Zohaib and others have struggled under pressure, as referenced in their batting failures in that tournament.
Looking ahead, both teams will be focusing on addressing their respective batting issues and preparing for their upcoming matches. Agha made a statement about the upcoming match against India, expressing readiness for any challenge and confidence in Pakistan's performance over the past four months. Waseem, on the other hand, stated that his team will look to apply the learnings from this match going forward.
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