Sipu Jha
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha credited Babar Azam‘s crucial half-century for their four-wicket victory over South Africa in the T20I series decider on Saturday, securing the series 2-1. Babar’s composed 68 off 47 balls, his first T20I fifty in 13 innings since May 2024, helped Pakistan successfully chase down 140 runs with six balls remaining.Pakistan recovered strongly after losing the opening match in Rawalpindi by 55 runs. The team faced an early setback when opener Saim Ayub was dismissed for zero, leaving them at 8-1.Babar stabilized the innings by forming a vital 76-run partnership for the third wicket with captain Salman Ali Agha, who scored 33 runs off 26 balls including two boundaries. Usman Khan and Faheem Ashraf, remaining unbeaten on six and four runs respectively, guided Pakistan to victory.“Singles and doubles would have been enough to win the game. That’s what we were doing, and we knew we’d get an over like the one against Baartman (where we hit four boundaries), and that almost finished the game,” Agha said.Agha expressed admiration for Babar’s adaptability, determination, work ethic, and meticulous preparation, highlighting his unwavering commitment to improvement regardless of form.“We’re all delighted for Babar. The whole country is. In big games, big players step up. He did that today, and I really hope he continues along this vein and we see this Babar perform in the next four or five years,” the Pakistan captain said.“We’ve won both matches comprehensively. The bowlers kept them under par, and that’s what we discuss in team meetings. Score above par and keep other teams below par. The bowling did their job and it was an easy chase in both games.”
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