Salman Ali Agha (Getty Images) NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign ended in disappointment despite a win over the Sri Lankan national cricket team on Saturday, with captain Salman Ali Agha admitting that the team’s batting frailties were costly.While Sahibzada Farhan stood out with a brilliant hundred, the rest of the batting unit failed to perform consistently in the tournament. Agha admitted that Pakistan’s middle-order woes have persisted for years. Senior batsmen Babar Azam and Saim Ayub have been left out of the Super Eights clash due to poor form.
T20 World Cup: Ryan ten Doeschate press conference ahead of IND vs WI
“We couldn’t bat well during the tournament. If Farhan had more support it would have been better. The middle order has been a problem for a few years now, we will have to look at that,” Agha said at the post-match presentation.At one stage, Farhan (100) and Fakhar Zaman (84) had Sri Lanka on the ropes, raising hopes of a total of 225. However, Pakistan ended up on 212 for 8, not taking full advantage of their blistering start.“We couldn’t finish the way we wanted. We batted well for 18 overs, the opposition did well in the remaining two. Even 160 would have been difficult to defend,” Agha said.He also pointed out the conditions that play a role in the competition.“(It) was always going to be challenging after we lost the toss because of the dew. It could have been a different story if we had won the toss. The dew was a factor. We couldn’t execute the plans. Usman (Tariq) was off, that can happen.”Asked to bat first, Pakistan piled up a formidable 212 for 8 riding on heavy lifting by Farhan and Zaman. Pakistan needed to restrict Sri Lanka to 147 or less to overcome New Zealand’s national cricket team on a clean sheet and qualify for the semi-finals from Group 2.This scenario never materialized. Already out of semi-final contention, the co-hosts mounted a strong chase to finish on 207 for 6.Both Pakistan and New Zealand finished the Super Eights stage with three points apiece, but the Kiwis progressed second from the group thanks to excellent net pace. The England cricket team has already sealed their semi-final berth after winning all three Super Eights matches.Farhan, who was named the player of the match, expressed mixed emotions after his century came up empty.“(I wanted to do well for the team, I wanted Fakhar to actually step up. It didn’t work out for the team, that’s why I’m sad,” he said).“I felt good, it brings confidence. I knew I could hit anything in my arc. All credit to domestic cricket, it brought the habit of scoring fast and scoring big.”Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka, who almost sealed a stunning victory with a blistering 76 not out from 31 balls, felt he had squandered the opportunity.“It was a tight game, I could have finished it. I bowled well to Shaheen,” said Shanaka, who needed just six runs from the last two balls to win the match.“Yes, we are disappointed. I want to apologize to the fans. Unfortunately, we have gone down due to injuries. In the future, I hope there will be no injuries. We are missing two key bowlers in (Wanindu) Hasaranga and (Matheesha) Pathirana. I hope they will come back soon and do well in Sri Lankan cricket.“Sometimes as players we feel the pressure. It was a mistake, I apologize to the fans for letting them down. We are all grateful for all the support. (Pavan) Rathnayake is consistent, uses the wicket well. We (also) (Dunith) Wellalage, they (young players) are growing.”
