Pakistan cricket team’s vice-captain Salman Ali Agha has backed his team’s formidable pace attack to come good against Australia with favorable conditions on offer.
In a recent media briefing in Melbourne, Salman Ali Agha described the team’s pace attack as “exceptional” and highlighted the bowlers’ capability to consistently clock speeds around 140 km/h. Reflecting on the recent England Test series, Salman clarified that Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Naseem Shah weren’t dropped but were rested to recuperate from a heavy workload.
“They had been playing continuous cricket, so rest was essential. Now they’re feeling quite fresh,” Salman explained.
Looking ahead to the upcoming series against Australia, Salman expressed optimism about the trio’s potential impact, while commending Babar Azam’s steady presence and influence. “Even when he isn’t the captain, Babar actively shares his insights,” he noted, emphasizing Babar’s role in the team’s strategy.
Pakistan is surely to go with a pace-heavy bowling attack when the two sides finally meet in the first ODI on Monday as the Australian conditions are better suited to this art form.
That is in contrast to the last two tests between Pakistan and England where Noman Ali and Sajid Khan were Pakistan’s focal points with the ball with Aamer Jamal not bowling a single over the final test.
Salman also mentioned that the team, under the guidance of coach Jason Gillespie, has prepared a game plan tailored specifically to Australian conditions.
Gillespie’s knowledge of the local pitches, he said, has been instrumental in shaping their approach. “We’ve only been here two days, so the playing XI hasn’t been finalized yet,” Salman added.
The vice-captain spoke with enthusiasm about the team’s motivation.
“Each team member is eager and hopeful to do their best here. We’ll keep things simple and aim to put forth our best game,” he said.