Colombo, February 18 – Salman Ali Agha praised Pakistan's comprehensive victory over Namibia in their Group A match at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Wednesday, describing it as a clinical and complete performance with both bat and ball.
"I think it has to be a complete performance. I think we batted well in the Power-play, we started really well in the Power-play, and in the middle, we put partnerships on, and then we finished well," Agha said during the post-match presentation.
Pakistan set the tone early with an aggressive start and maintained momentum through the middle overs before finishing strongly, largely thanks to a brilliant century from Sahibzada Farhan. Agha reserved special praise for the opener, highlighting his consistency and impact in recent months.
"Sahibzada has been outstanding. The way he's been batting for us for the last six months, he's just batting really well, and he scored 100 today. I'm very happy for him," he said.
Pakistan's dominance extended beyond their batting. Their bowlers ensured Namibia never gained any foothold in the chase, applying relentless pressure with disciplined lines and clever variations. "And when it comes to the ball, I think we were lethal, and we were ruthless. We bowled in the right area, whether it's a fast bowler or a spinner. I think it was a complete performance for us," Agha stated.
Agha also reflected on the impact of Pakistan's spin attack, acknowledging the challenges posed by one of their key bowlers and expressing confidence in his ability to deliver in crucial moments ahead.
"Trust me, it's tough. He is a tough bowler to face. Whenever I have played him in domestic, I find it very hard because he's someone who's very, very tough to pick, and then when he has a pause. It becomes very, very difficult. But I'm very happy he's playing for us, and I'm very happy for him with the way he's bowling. I really hope he can bowl well in the business end now, the way he's bowling right now, and win us more games," he noted.
Pakistan relied heavily on their spinners throughout the match, exploiting the Colombo surface effectively while keeping their pace options in reserve.
Agha explained that the team’s spin depth allowed them to control proceedings without overusing their fast bowlers, saying, “I think we have the luxury of spinners. We have all-rounders who can bat and bowl, and then we have a proper match-winner when it comes to spin bowling. So if you have that much of a spin bowling in Sri Lanka, you don't really need to bowl a fast bowler in the middle. And if we need to bowl a fast bowler in the middle, we have the bowlers who can do that as well. But right now, we are fine bowling with the spinners.”
With the win strengthening Pakistan’s position in the tournament, Agha turned his attention to their upcoming clash against New Zealand, expressing confidence in his side’s current form while acknowledging the challenge ahead.
“I think we have been playing really good cricket. New Zealand have been playing good cricket. So, I'm guessing it will be a good game. And I think the way we are playing right now, if we replicate that kind of performance in the next game, I think we'll be fine,” he concluded.
