Massive statement! Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha drops bombshell on India ahead of Asia Cup final

Pakistan clinched a narrow 11-run victory against Bangladesh in a Super 4s Asia Cup match, securing their place in the final against India. Captain Salman Ali Agha praised his team's exceptional quality, highlighting Shaheen Shah Afridi's all-round performance. Bangladesh's captain, Jaker Ali, attributed their loss to poor batting, despite commendable bowling efforts.

Pakistan's players celebrates the dismissal of Bangladesh's Jaker Ali (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Pakistan secured a thrilling 11-run victory over Bangladesh in the Asia Cup Super 4s match in Dubai on Thursday, successfully defending a modest total of 135 to reach the tournament final against India. Captain Salman Ali Agha credited his team's special quality after their bowlers delivered a remarkable performance. Pakistan's bowlers stepped up when it mattered most, helping their team book their first-ever Asia Cup final showdown with arch-rivals India. The upcoming final will mark their third encounter in the tournament, following previous meetings in the group stage and Super Fours.

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"If you win these kind of games, then we must be a special team. Everyone played really well. There is some improvement needed in batting. But we will work on that," Agha said at the presentation. The Pakistan captain expressed confidence in his team's abilities ahead of the final. "Very excited. We know what we need to do, and we are a good enough team to beat anyone, and we will come on Sunday and try to beat them," he added. Shaheen Shah Afridi earned the Player-of-the-Match award for his all-round performance, contributing 19 runs off 13 balls and taking 3/17 with the ball. "Shaheen is a special player. He does what the team needs of him. Very happy for him. We were 15 runs short. The way we bowled up front, we will create pressure. We bowled well with the new ball. More often than not you will win games if you bowl like this," Agha commented. The captain also highlighted the team's improved fielding efforts. "We have been fielding well... We have been having extra sessions. Mike Hesson said if you can't field, you won't be in the team." Afridi shared his perspective on the match-winning performance. "Early on, as a team, we need breakthroughs and I go for that. In a small total, you need early breakthroughs and we planned that. Three overs in the powerplay – that is the difference," he said. Speaking about his batting contribution, Afridi added: "After early wickets, team decided (to let me go) and take on bowlers. Those sixes turned momentum to our end." When asked about the upcoming final against India, Afridi simply stated: "We are ready." Meanwhile, Bangladesh's stand-in captain Jaker Ali attributed their consecutive losses to poor batting performances. Bangladesh had previously lost to India in their last Super 4s match on Wednesday. "As a batting unit, last two games we lost it. We did good work with the bowling unit. Yesterday also the batting cost us the game," Jaker said. He also reflected on his leadership experience: "I tried to take those chances. I tried to adjust to the captaincy. Our bowlers Rishad and then Saif with the bat. Unfortunately, we didn't support Saif much."

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