Biggest Worrying Signs For Pakistan Ahead Of Asia Cup Super Four Despite Win Vs UAE

Saim Ayub and Mohammad Nawaz [Source: @afghan_ali/X.com]

Pakistan defeated UAE by 41 runs in their concluding group stage match in the Asia Cup 2025. However, questions remain as fingers can be pointed at the Salman Agha-led team that exposes many vulnerabilities before the big 'next' step in the tournament.

Though the Men in Green have managed to win 2 out of 3 games, they struggled with the big fish, India, and might struggle again when they meet in the Super 4 on September 21. Hence, here's a look at which things Pakistan need to worry about as they step into the Asia Cup Super 4 stage.

1) Saim Ayub Is Struggling With The Bat

6 wickets and 3 ducks from three matches. Looks like the stats of a bowler, right? Wrong. Those are the stats of Pakistan's new face of explosive opening, Saim Ayub. The young lad has managed to bag 6 wickets from his three matches, with even a 3-wicket haul against India, but his batting form has gone down the drain.

A player, who has 816 runs from his 44 T20Is and is supposed to be the next big thing for Pakistan, has fallen face down in the Asia Cup 2025. The A1 vs A2 match, which will be India vs Pakistan, on September 21, will again be played in Dubai, where spinners thrive. So let's take a look at Ayub's stats against spinners.

(Table - T20I stats for Saim Ayub against spinners)

From 27 matches, Ayub has 14 dismissals, with an average of 19.6 and a highest score of 44, which translates to his success rate against spinners as 48.15%. Hence, he might need to keep his guard up when he faces Kuldeep Yadav or Varun Chakaravarthy.

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2) Mohammad Nawaz's Dry And Poor Form

'Match-winner' Mohammad Nawaz has been in terrible form too. For someone who has 71 wickets from 74 T20Is, Nawaz, as a senior spin veteran, is struggling in the tournament. His figures read 1-13, 0-27, and 0-27 from his three group stage matches, which indicates not only that he is wicketless in his last two matches but also that he was expensive as well.

These dry spells from Nawaz are another glaring point for Pakistan to worry about, since he is one of the most lethal weapons in Pakistan's spin arsenal. Against India, Men in Green might fall short with their spin soldiers. Yet, let's take a look at Nawaz's T20I stats against India.

(Table - T20I stats for Mohammad Nawaz against India)

Nawaz's stats against India seem decent. 6 wickets from 4 matches at an economy of 8.66 and at an impressive strike rate of 14.7 speak of the impact he can create in the Super 4 clash. However, it only depends on his ability to get out of these dry spell shackles and perform exceptionally against India's explosive batters.

3) Salman Agha's Rough Patch Can Be Painful For Pakistan

Salman Ali Agha, the skipper and "should be backbone" of Pakistan's middle order, is also struggling. Duck in the very first match against Oman, 3 runs from 12 balls against India and a slow 20 off 27 against UAE make his case curious. Though he is an all-rounder, his bowling heroics were never very impressive. What Pakistan needs is a stable middle order, and Agha has to address that woe.

From his 28 T20Is, Agha boasts an average of 24.38 but lacks the firepower with a strike rate of 111.30. He needs to hone up his game before it gets too late for the team. 

(Table - Salman Agha's T20I stats against bowlers)

From his success rates against spin and pace in T20Is, Salman Agha seems like a strong contender to play well against India in the upcoming clash. If he finds his rhythm, he can anchor a collapse at the top to pile up some runs before India gets the better of Pakistan.

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