Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha has called for a more ruthless mindset in the powerplay overs after a nervy five-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the opening match of the T20I tri-series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Put into field, Pakistan were immediately under pressure as Zimbabwe’s openers Tadiwanashe Marumani and Brian Bennett raced to 59 without loss in the powerplay — the Chevrons’ second-highest against Pakistan in T20Is. However, the visitors faltered once Mohammad Nawaz led a spirited fightback, restricting them to 147/8.
“It was a close game. We didn’t start well with either bat or ball, and when you don’t start well, the game tends to get close,” Agha admitted during the post-match presentation.
The skipper credited Pakistan’s spinners for turning the tide, highlighting their consistent performances over the past few months. He revealed that the team had anticipated a low-scoring contest after assessing the pitch conditions.
“The spinners have been doing well for the last 4–5 months. They were the ones who put us back in the game,” Agha said. “When we saw the pitch last night, I knew it wasn’t going to be high scoring. It looked like a 160–180 kind of wicket, but we bowled really well. I was very happy chasing 147.”
Looking ahead, Agha stressed the importance of sharper starts in both batting and bowling. “We need to start well, bowling or batting. In the powerplay, we need to be ruthless. That’s what I’m going to talk about,” he said.
Pakistan’s chase was anchored by a crucial 61-run stand between Fakhar Zaman (44 off 32) and Usman Khan (37* off 28) while Nawaz capped his all-round display with 21* off 12 balls to seal victory with four deliveries to spare.
The tri-series continues in Rawalpindi with Zimbabwe set to face Sri Lanka on Thursday, before Pakistan meet Sri Lanka in their second fixture on Saturday.