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NEW DELHI: Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha struck a confident and defiant tone after guiding his side to a convincing 32-run victory over the United States in their Group A clash at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, declaring that Pakistan’s unique cricketing identity remains their biggest strength. Reflecting on the performance at the Sinhalese Sports Club, Agha summed up his team’s philosophy with a dramatic line that captured attention: “We are Pakistan, we do things differently to the world.”Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The skipper, known for his calm demeanour, appeared relaxed during the post-match presentation as he praised a much-improved batting effort, particularly through the middle overs. “I always smile. When have you seen me not smile? (laughs). Clinical win. Last game we didn’t bat well in the middle overs, but today we did. Once we scored 190, we knew we could defend that,” he said.
Agha revealed that he would have preferred to bat first regardless of the toss, expressing full faith in Pakistan’s bowling attack to defend even modest totals. According to him, the team’s belief in setting targets reflects their fearless mindset and willingness to challenge conventional strategies. “With the kind of bowling we have, we know we can win even with 160-170,” he added.Despite that preference, the captain emphasised the adaptability within Pakistan’s batting order, highlighting a flexible approach that allows the side to respond to different match situations. “We’re comfortable with chasing as well. Our batting order is flexible. First three will probably go in the same order, but we’re flexible after that,” Agha explained, pointing to the presence of finishers who can be promoted if required or held back to close out games.
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While pleased with the result, Agha stressed that the team still has areas to refine, especially with the ball in the powerplay. “Always room for improvement. We like to bowl well in the powerplay. In patches we were good, but we can be more clinical,” he said.With momentum building and a high-profile clash with India on the horizon, Pakistan’s captain believes their unconventional mindset could be the difference-maker.
