Salman Ali Agha backs Babar Azam’s return to rev…
Pakistan’s stand-in captain Salman Ali Agha has backed the return of Babar Azam, expressing confidence that the experienced batter can provide a much-needed boost to the team’s struggling batting lineup. His comments came after Pakistan suffered a heavy defeat against England in the opening Test at Headingley on Friday.
England completely dominated the match and secured an innings-and-103-run victory, taking control of the Test series. Pakistan struggled throughout the game, particularly with the bat, as they were dismissed for just 171 runs in their first innings before being bowled out for 135 in the second.
In contrast, England produced a strong batting performance, posting 409 runs in their first innings. Pakistan’s bowlers were unable to take full advantage of the helpful conditions, while England’s players maintained pressure throughout the match. Ollie Robinson was named Player of the Match after an impressive bowling display in which he claimed eight wickets.
Speaking after the match, Salman Ali Agha acknowledged that England had been the superior team and admitted that Pakistan had made several costly mistakes.
“England have outplayed us,” Salman said, emphasizing that the team’s inexperienced batting unit needed to become more consistent, especially when playing in challenging overseas conditions.
The Pakistan captain also defended his fast bowlers despite their failure to capitalize on the moisture and overcast conditions at Headingley. He pointed out that the pace attack had performed well during Pakistan’s previous tour of the West Indies and believed the conditions in England should have suited them.
According to Salman, Pakistan have bowlers capable of reaching speeds of around 140 kilometers per hour, but they were unable to produce their best performances in the first Test. He insisted that he continued to have faith in the bowling unit and said the team would work on correcting its mistakes before the next match.
Despite the disappointing result, Salman praised the individual efforts of Ali Usman and Abdullah Shafique. He was particularly pleased with Usman’s bowling performance in difficult conditions and also highlighted Shafique’s determination with the bat.
Looking ahead to the next Test, Salman believes the potential return of Babar Azam could significantly improve Pakistan’s batting. Babar’s experience and ability to perform under pressure could provide stability to a lineup that struggled against England’s bowling attack.
“Hopefully Babar will come back in the next match and his presence will give a boost to our batting,” Salman said.
Pakistan will now look to learn from their mistakes and make a strong comeback in the next Test. With Babar Azam potentially returning to the playing XI, the team will hope that his experience can help strengthen the batting order and give Pakistan a better chance of challenging England in the remainder of the series.
