Advertisement
Advertisement
LAUDERHILL: Pakistan T20I captain Salman Ali Agha opened up after his side’s last-ball defeat against West Indies in the second match of the series here at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground.
West Indies managed to secure a win on the last ball, ending a six-match losing streak in the shorter format of the game.
Chasing a modest 134, West Indies wobbled early, courtesy of Mohammad Nawaz, who struck twice in his first two overs.
Captain Agha Salman rotated his spinners smartly, and Saim Ayub delivered next, sending back Sherfane Rutherford (9) before Nawaz returned to dismiss Shai Hope (21), making it 53 for 4 by the 11th over.
With the West Indies needing 36 off the last 18 balls, Holder and Romario Shepherd calmly plotted the chase.
Holder pounced on a wayward Hasan over to ease the pressure, and though Shaheen Afridi removed Shepherd in the final over, the experienced all-rounder sealed the win with a boundary off the last ball.
Jason Holder starred with the bat and bowl, remaining unbeaten on 16 off 10 and scalping four wickets to take his team to a much-needed series-levelling victory.
Speaking in the post-match presentation, Salman Ali Agha highlighted powerplay batting and praised bowlers for showing grit despite defending a low total.
“In this game, we batted well in the powerplay but we couldn’t finish the game. (on bowlers) We bowled really well, but there is always room to improve,” he said.
He emphasized the importance of better bowling in the last stage of the game, lauding the spinners and backing them to excel in the forthcoming Asia Cup 2025.
“I think we can bowl better at death. 130 was never enough but they fought really well and I am proud of (bowlers). The way spinners bowled in both games, we are ready for Asia Cup, and they will come into play in Dubai,” Salman Ali Agha concluded.
