Pakistan Captain’s Unmissable Reaction As Afghanistan Labelled ‘2nd Best Team In Asia’ At…

Given how Pakistan have fared in recent times, there is a school of thought that they are no longer contenders to lift the Asia Cup.

The Pakistan cricket team has gone through a major overhaul over the last few months, with T20I captain Salman Ali Agha overseeing the period of transition ahead of the Asia Cup. Former captains Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are no longer part of the T20I setup, with the management keen on backing a young group with Agha at the helm. Given how Pakistan have fared in recent times, there is a school of thought that they are no longer contenders to lift the Asia Cup.

However, Agha and his men will have a chance to change that as they take on Afghanistan and the UAE in a tri-series, starting on Friday. Afghanistan arrives as the form team, riding high on their historic T20 World Cup 2024 semifinal appearance, where they stunned Australia and New Zealand.

A Pakistani journalist, while raising a query during a press conference on Thursday, highlighted how Afghanistan was the second-best team in the T20 World Cup, behind champions India. While the question was intended for Rashid Khan, it certainly irked Agha, who was seen smirking in response to the remark. A video of the same has gone viral on social media.

This tri-series represents crucial preparation opportunities for all three participants, who will benefit enormously from acclimatizing to the UAE conditions ahead of the Asia Cup (September 9-28). The timing couldn’t be more strategic, as Pakistan and Afghanistan find themselves grouped differently in the main tournament-Pakistan in Group A alongside India, Oman, and UAE, while Afghanistan features in Group B with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Hong Kong.

Pakistan enters the event with renewed leadership under captain Salman Ali Agha, notably without senior stars Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. The Green Shirts will rely on explosive opener Fakhar Zaman, who, despite recent injury concerns, brings 1,949 T20I runs at a strike rate of 131.77.

Left-arm pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi and express bowler Haris Rauf anchor an attack seeking redemption after underwhelming performances in seven recent T20I series, winning just three.

In the opening match of the series, Afghanistan will take on Pakistan on Friday before the host UAE takes on the latter on the following day.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/salman-ali-aghas-unmissable-reaction-as-afghanistan-labelled-2nd-best-team-in-asia-at-9178627