'Couldn't finish the way we wanted to': Salman Agha's emotional admission after Pakistan's T20 World Cup exit

NEW DELHI — Pakistan’s T20 World Cup dream ended in a bittersweet blur at the Super Eights stage, as a commanding 11-run victory over Sri Lanka proved insufficient to keep their semifinal hopes alive. Captain Salman Ali Agha, visibly dejected during the post-match presentation, conceded that chronic batting frailties ultimately derailed the campaign and left the squad packing for home.

Despite Sahibzada Farhan’s sparkling 100 and Fakhar Zaman’s 84 that powered Pakistan to 212 for 8 after being asked to bat first, the side could not wrangle the net-run-rate arithmetic needed to overhaul New Zealand. Pakistan required Sri Lanka to be held to 147 or below; instead, Dasun Shanaka’s hurricane 76 not out steered the co-hosts to 207 for 6, narrowly missing what would have been a stunning heist.

“We couldn’t bat well throughout the tournament,” Agha said bluntly. “If Farhan had more support, it’d have been better. Middle order has been a problem for a few years now; we’ll have to look at that.” The skipper noted that even 160 would have been tricky to defend once dew took hold, but lamented the two overs where Sri Lanka’s death hitting trimmed Pakistan’s surge. “We batted well 18 overs, opposition did well in the other two,” he added.

Senior stalwarts Babar Azam and Saim Ayub were dropped for the must-win clash after a string of low scores, underscoring a dressing-room in transition. Farhan, later named Player of the Match, admitted his personal milestone felt hollow. “I wanted Fakhar to ton up actually. The ton didn’t work for the team, that’s why I’m sad,” he said, crediting domestic cricket for honing his ability to score big at pace.

Sri Lanka, already out of contention, left the field with mixed emotions. “It was a close game, I could’ve finished it,” Shanaka said, apologising to fans for falling one blow short while praising Shaheen Shah Afridi’s final-over nerve. Injuries to Wanindu Hasaranga and Matheesha Pathirana, he stressed, had robbed the squad of crucial bite throughout the event.

England had earlier sealed the group with three wins, while New Zealand joined them on net run rate, leaving Pakistan to rue what might have been. As the players trudged off, Agha’s parting words echoed the sentiment of a campaign that promised much yet delivered too little: “Couldn’t finish the way we wanted to.”