New Delhi : Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha confirmed that he will bat at No.3 for the side during the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Ali Agha has mostly batted later in Pakistan's top six across his T20I career, but recently, he has taken it upon himself to move up to the crucial No.3 position to provide a more attacking option for the team.
The powerful right-hander appeared in good touch at first drop against Australia in the opening T20I of their three-match series in Lahore on Thursday, contributing a quickfire innings of 39 as Pakistan recorded an impressive 22-run triumph just days out from the start of the T20 World Cup.
And Ali Agha later confirmed he would remain at No.3 for the rest of the series against Australia and the start of the T20 World Cup, as he believes it suits his style of game to target quick runs from opposition spinners.
"Yes, I'll be batting at No.3 (in the future)," Ali Agha said.
"We expect to face a lot of spin, and I believe I can dominate spin during the Powerplay. That's why I moved up, and that is where I'll stay," he added. Ali Agha's promotion up the order means Babar Azam will most likely also face a new role, with the former Pakistan skipper managing 24 runs from 20 deliveries against the Aussies after coming into bat at No.4.
It was left to opener and Player of the Match Saim Ayub (40) to do the majority of the damage for Pakistan as they compiled 168/8 from their 20 overs after they elected to bat first at Gaddafi Stadium, with the Aussies losing six wickets to spin in reply as their run chase fell short.
"It was a great game," Ali Agha added. "We started well with the bat but couldn't finish the way we wanted. It became challenging after the first 10 overs as the ball stopped coming onto the bat, but I think we were outstanding with the ball. To be honest, I felt 170 was enough. Given how we were placed after 10 overs, we probably could have scored 15 more, but I knew 170 would be plenty on this pitch because our spin bowling is outstanding," he concluded.