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By Muhammad Naeem Khan Niazi
LAHORE, Sep 27 (APP):Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said on Saturday that the team was fully focused on winning final of the Asia Cup against India and least bothered by the clamor outside the playing fields.
Speaking at the pre-final press conference at the DICS, Dubai, he said “we are not concerned what the media or cricket experts say about us, we have come here to win the final of Asia Cup,”On losing precious two fixtures in Dubai against India, Agha said the Pakistan team will try to make fewer mistakes against India in the final of the Asia Cup 2025 to lift the trophy.
“Indian made fewer mistakes as compared with Pakistani team and that’s why they got the better of us in both the fixtures in Asia Cup,” he said while Salman acknowledged that Pakistan-India games are pressure games and it will be a misstatement to claim there is no pressure.
Admitting his poor form at the Asia Cup 2025, Pakistani captain said he was working on his batting.
On strike-rate of former captains Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan due to lower strike rates, Salman Ali Agha said that strike rate is not of paramount importance and a cricketer must play what the situation demands of him. It will be a misnomer if a player bats with a strike rate of 150 but does not address the situation.
Salman Ali Agha said no changes in the team combination was in the offing and a team in the final will be picked after having a look at the pitch for the final against India.
On maintaining discipline on the field, Pakistan captain said, “I give freedom to the players to express themselves on the team but no one should bring disrepute to the game of cricket on the field.”
Responding to the no hand-shake saga on September 14, Salman said no hand-shake tradition was a bad omen for gentleman’s sport, adding that had not seen or heard of no hand-shake in a game of cricket during his cricketing career.
Salman Agha was tacit in admission of the barring woes of the Pakistan team in the Asia Cup 2025, expressing the hope that the team will give its best against India in the final on Sunday.
Salman Agha dispelled the impression that toss had any effect on the result of a game, adding that toss did not play any significant in the outcome of any game so far.
On Saim Ayub’s poor show with the bat in the Asia Cup, the captain said Saim’s contribution in bowling and fielding was excellent if he did not do well with bat, expressing the hope that final against India will see the best of Saim Ayub.