KARACHI: Pakistan all-rounder Salman Ali Agha pinpointed a timid powerplay performance and the delayed arrival of opener Fakhar Zaman as critical factors behind the team’s 60-run defeat to New Zealand here at the National Bank Stadium on Wednesday, admitting the hosts “lacked momentum” throughout the match.

Chasing a mammoth 321-run target, Pakistan collapsed to 260 all out with Salman playing a quick-fire knock of 42 off 28 deliveries, among the batters failing to convert starts.

He conceded the team’s cautious approach in the first powerplay — scoring just 22 runs while losing two wickets — set a damaging tone.

“We didn’t play well in the powerplay. That is the main reason we lost today,” Salman said in the post-match press conference. “We were never able to build momentum.”

He emphasised the void left by Fakhar — who was forced down to the number four as a result of his absence from the field due to injury during New Zealand’s innings — calling him Pakistan’s “best powerplay utiliser.”

Without Fakhar’s aggressive intent, Pakistan’s top order crawled to their second-lowest powerplay score in the past two years.

Salman, who walked in at 69-3, said he attacked immediately to reduce the mounting required rate but acknowledged the batting unit’s broader failures.

“The match was slipping away, so I had to charge from the start. But partnerships are crucial, and we didn’t stitch them consistently,” he said, referencing Pakistan’s five partnerships under 20 runs.

The middle-order batter contrasted the display with Pakistan’s record run chase against South Africa earlier this year, where strike rotation and collaboration anchored victory.

“We need to convert our small scores into bigger ones. If we keep getting out after small scores, these losses will keep happening,” he stressed.

Salman also addressed Pakistan’s constant failures against New Zealand — the BlackCaps winning the last three matches between the two sides — due to lack of consistency.

“If you want to be the best side, you have to be consistent. We’re lacking that,” he said.

Khushdil Shah was the highest run-getter for Pakistan and he echoed Salman’s views about Fakhar’s absence while talking after the match.

“I’m familiar with batting in situations when the required run-rate is around 11-12. However, we did suffer because of Fakhar’s injury at the start,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah who took two wickets while giving away 63 runs, noted that Pakistan were not doing well in the death overs and that’s where, he thought, the match slipped away from their hands.

“We need to improve with our bowling in the death overs and even as a batting line-up we need to think how we are going to chase such scores in the upcoming matches,” he said.

Naseem acknowledged that the pitch did not offer much to the bowlers.

“The pitch didn’t have much to offer for bowlers. It broke a little bit in the second innings. I feel as a batting unit we need to improve.”

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2025