We're ready for Asia Cup: Agha

Pakistan suffers a two-wicket defeat against West Indies in second T20I

Pakistan T20I captain Salman Ali Agha expressed optimism ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 in September despite his side's narrow two-wicket loss to West Indies in the second T20I, which leveled the three-match series 1-1 on Sunday at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground.

During the post-match press conference, Agha Salman reflected on the team's overall performance, acknowledging the shortcomings with the bat.

"In this game we didn't bat well in the powerplay and couldn't finish the game like we wanted either. But we bowled and fielded well," Agha said.

The all-rounder also emphasised the areas where the team can still improve, particularly in death bowling, and praised the spinners' contributions ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup.

"There's always room to improve — death bowling can be better. 130 was never enough but they fought really well. The way spinners bowled in both games, I think we're ready for Asia Cup. They always come in numbers and support us wherever we play," he said.

Meanwhile, all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz attributed Pakistan's defeat in the second T20I against West Indies to the low target, stating clearly that the team needed to score at least 150 to 160 runs on this pitch to secure a win.

Speaking after the match, Nawaz praised the partnership between Hasan Nawaz and Salman Ali Agha during a difficult phase, acknowledging that both players batted well under challenging conditions.

"The way Hasan Nawaz and Salman Agha batted in tough conditions, credit goes to them. Our partnership against the spinners was good, but we couldn't finish well," he said.

Nawaz emphasised that the low target was the main reason for the loss, explaining that winning was not possible with such a small total. However, he appreciated the team's fight despite the low score.

"This score wasn't a par score here; it should have been 150 or 160. Still, the bowling unit and fielders fought hard, which was very good. Despite the low score, the bowlers fought and kept us in the game," he added.

It is pertinent to mention that West Indies secured a thrilling victory in the final over of the aforementioned match.

Chasing a modest 134-run target, the hosts suffered early setbacks, with Mohammad Nawaz dismissing Alick Athanaze for two in the second over and then removing Jewel Andrew (12 off 10) in the fourth, reducing West Indies to 26-2 by the fourth over.

Nawaz struck again to dismiss captain Shai Hope (21 off 30), leaving the home side struggling at 53-4 in the 11th over. Saim Ayub then added to the pressure by removing Roston Chase (16), taking his second wicket.

With 36 needed from the final three overs, Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd kept their composure. Holder capitalised on a wayward over from Hasan Ali, bringing the hosts back into contention.

Although Shaheen Afridi removed Shepherd (15 off 11) in the final over, Holder held his nerve, sealing the win with a boundary off the last delivery to remain unbeaten on 16 off 10 balls.

Nawaz starred with the ball for Pakistan, finishing with impressive figures of 3-14 in four overs. Saim Ayub chipped in with 2-20, while Sufiyan Muqeem and Shaheen Afridi claimed one wicket each.

Earlier, after opting to bat first, Pakistan got off to a shaky start. Saim Ayub (7) and Sahibzada Farhan (3) were both dismissed by Jason Holder, while Akeal Hosein accounted for Mohammad Haris (4), leaving Pakistan reeling at 21-3.

Fakhar Zaman (20) and Agha Salman attempted a brief recovery before Gudakesh Motie struck again. Salman anchored the innings with a composed 38 off 33 balls and stitched a 60-run partnership with Hassan Nawaz, who provided late impetus with a quickfire 40.

For the unversed, the series decider will be played at the same venue on August 4.