Dambulla: Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha has insisted on the need for improvement in his team’s fielding as they prepare for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 scheduled to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.
The 2009 champions began their preparations for the 20-team mega event with a win as they defeated hosts Sri Lanka by six wickets in the first T20I of their three-match series at the Rangiri Tambulla International Stadium earlier today.
Pakistan skipper Agha won the toss to send the hosts into a tailspin and Janith Lienake’s brave 40 saw Sri Lanka reel out for 128 in 19.2 overs.
Left-arm pacer Salman Mirza and mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed led Pakistan’s bowling charge with three wickets each, while Mohammad Wasim Jr and Shatab Khan claimed two wickets each.
Chasing 129 in reply, Pakistan scored 129 for 4 with 20 balls to spare thanks to opener Sahibzada Farhan’s superb half-century.
Despite the touring side delivering a clinical all-round performance, their captain Agha blamed the snow and said the toss result was crucial.
“I didn’t expect snow because of the weather earlier. There was a lot of snow after the first 5-6 overs of the second innings,” Agha said in the post-match briefing.
“I thought 150 would be a challenging total in the first innings. But after seeing the ice in the second innings, I thought 170-odd was required,” he added.
The ongoing series is crucial for Pakistan as they prepare for the T20 World Cup, during which they will play all matches in Sri Lanka, and their captain Agha said the players are well aware of their role for the mega event, but stressed the need for improvement in the fielding department.
“We know what we have to do in the World Cup. We know our roles. I want the team to field well and that’s the area we need to improve on,” Agha said.