• Home
  • Who Said What
  • Need To Be Ruthless Agha Demands Stronger Starts Despite Pakistans Win Vs Zimbabwe

"Need to be ruthless": Agha demands stronger starts despite Pakistan's win vs Zimbabwe

Akshita Patel

Salman Agha's comments after Pakistan beat Zimbabwe [Source: @CallMeSheri1_/X.com]Salman Agha's comments after Pakistan beat Zimbabwe [Source: @CallMeSheri1_/X.com]

Pakistan may have opened their T20I Tri-Series campaign with a win. But captain Salman Agha made it clear that the performance left plenty to be desired.

After edging past Zimbabwe by five wickets in Rawalpindi, Agha insisted that Pakistan must start better and play with greater authority.

Salman Agha calls for ruthlessness from Pakistan in T20Is

Chasing 148, Pakistan slipped to 30/3 inside six overs, with Babar Azam dismissed for a duck and both openers falling cheaply. 

It took a stabilising act from Fakhar Zaman (44 off 32) and the composed finishing duo of Usman Khan (37)* and Mohammad Nawaz (21)* to seal the match with four balls left. 

But for captain Salman Agha, the early stutter was a warning sign. His frustration was evident, especially with the powerplay returns, as Pakistan managed only 31 runs in the first six overs while losing three wickets.

"It was a close game. I think we didn't start well in both departments. We didn't start well with both ball and bat. When you don't start well, it tends to get close," Agha said in post-match presentation.

The captain believes the opening exchanges of a T20 game often define momentum, and Pakistan cannot afford sloppy beginnings if they hope to dominate the series.

One clear positive for Pakistan, however, was the continued rise of their spin unit. Mohammad Nawaz, who took 2 for 22, and Abrar Ahmed, who kept things tight in the middle overs, were key in restricting Zimbabwe to 147/8. 

"The spinners have been doing well for the last 4-5 months. Whoever comes into the side, they are the ones who raise their hands and put us back in the game," he added.

The spin attack, Salman Agha noted, has been a dependable force. Agha also shed light on the Rawalpindi surface, which behaved slower than usual.

"When we came last night and saw the pitch, I thought that it wasn't going to be as high-scoring a pitch as it normally would be. It hasn't been high-scoring surfaces lately here in Pindi.  It is a 160-180 kind of a pitch, but we bowled really well. I was very happy to chase 147. We need to start well, bowling or batting. We need to be ruthless in the powerplay. That's what I'm going to talk about. We have a few off days now. Need to refresh and comeback." 

Salman Agha has been struggling with his own form

Interestingly, the T20I numbers of Pakistan captain Salman Agha paint the picture of a steady but still-developing batter.

In 2025, he scored 547 runs in 30 matches at an average of 24.86 and a strike rate of 113.72. The four fifties speak about quality, but just one six and a modest boundary count reveal the need for greater power-hitting.

Besides, at the 2025 Asia Cup, Agha scored just 72 runs in 7 games at 12.00 average. Hence, for Pakistan to be ruthless, captain Salman Agha has to rediscover his form first.