Salman Ali Agha admits England outplayed Pakistan at Headingley and hopes Babar Azam’s return can strengthen the struggling batting lineup.
Pakistan’s stand-in captain Salman Ali Agha has backed the potential return of Babar Azam, saying the experienced batter could provide a much-needed boost to the team’s struggling batting lineup after a heavy defeat against England in the opening Test at Headingley.
England dominated the match and secured an innings-and-103-run victory on Friday to take control of the Test series. Pakistan were dismissed for 171 in their first innings and 135 in the second, while England posted 409.
Speaking after the match, Salman admitted that England had been the better side and acknowledged that Pakistan made several costly mistakes.
“England have outplayed us,” Salman said, stressing that Pakistan’s inexperienced batting unit needed greater consistency, particularly in challenging overseas conditions.
Salman also defended Pakistan’s fast bowlers despite their inability to fully exploit the moisture and overcast conditions at Headingley. He noted that the pace attack had performed well during the team’s previous tour of the West Indies and said the English conditions should have suited them.
The Pakistan captain pointed out that the team has bowlers capable of reaching speeds of around 140 kph but acknowledged that they failed to produce their best performance in the opening Test. He said he remained confident in the bowling unit and that the team would work on its mistakes before the next match.
Salman praised individual efforts from Ali Usman and Abdullah Shafique. He highlighted Usman’s bowling display in difficult conditions and praised Shafique’s determination with the bat.
Looking ahead, Salman said Babar’s potential return could bring greater stability to Pakistan’s batting order.
“Hopefully Babar will come back in the next match and his presence will give a boost to our batting,” he said.
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