Dubai, September 9
Pakistan T20I captain Salman Ali Agha broke the silence about playing the format without the nation's batting bigwigs Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam. He feels things are falling in place as they remain excited to feature at the Asia Cup and strive for success by executing their brand of cricket.
Babar and Rizwan, the most successful opening pair for Pakistan but often lampooned for their unhurried approach in the bustling T20I format, have been axed from the setup since last December. After Mike Hesson assumed the role of the white-ball head coach, speculations had been rife about the stalwart duo's return.
Despite the switch in management, Babar and Rizwan's return remains in the waiting zone. With Hesson at the helm, Pakistan has engineered 10 wins out of 14 appearances and claimed the Tri Series against Afghanistan and the UAE in Sharjah on Sunday.
"It's been good. We are playing very good cricket. Last, I think, almost four months ago, we have won three series out of four.So we are doing really well as a team. And at the same time, we are very excited. For most of us, it's going to be the first big tournament like that," Salman said during the captains' press conference, ahead of their campaign opener on Sunday against Oman.
"I think we're playing good cricket. We started that a few months ago, like four or five months ago and now I think things are coming together. And as a team, I think we're playing good cricket, and we are looking forward to this tournament as well. And everyone is very excited," he added.
In the context of the tournament, India has been deemed the favourite to clinch the crown. Salman debunked the notion and cited the turbulent nature of the format. According to the Pakistani skipper, since the fate of the contest can change in a single over, nobody can be earmarked as favourites.
"Don't think anyone is a favourite in T20Is. In one over or two, the game can change. The Tri-Nation Series was a preparation for the Asia Cup. The thought was to win that tournament. If we did not win it, we still had to come here and play good cricket," he added.
Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufyan Moqim.
- ANI
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