{
  "id": 17236374,
  "title": "Salman Ali Agha hopes Pakistan top-order turns up in tri-series final, seeks ‘perfect game’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/salman-ali-agha-hopes-pakistan-top-order-turns-up-in-tri-series-final",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-30T14:27:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn",
    "slug": "dawn",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2040986/salman-ali-agha-hopes-pakistan-top-order-turns-up-in-tri-series-final-seeks-perfect-game"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Salman Ali Agha, a Pakistani batsman, believes the team has yet to display a complete team performance in the ongoing One-day International tri-series. The top order has been notably starved of runs during the series, highlighting Pakistan's underwhelming campaign with the bat. During a press conference, Agha stated that their top order isn't scoring runs like they used to, emphasizing that this is a recent issue, not a long-standing problem. Despite their current dip, Agha believes Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman, who have been Pakistan's best players in ODI cricket over the last decade, can still perform at their best. He stated that Fakhar has always excelled in high-stakes matches and hopes the latter will \"go big\" in the final against Sri Lanka. The coach, Mike Hesson, always emphasizes the importance of playing the \"perfect game,\" where all aspects of batting, bowling, and fielding are flawless. However, Pakistan has yet to achieve this in the series, with punctuated batting collapses and underwhelming bowling performances. The coach admitted that Pakistan has not played a \"perfect game\" yet, and highlighted the contributions of young players like Arafat Minhas, Hassan Nawaz, and Saad Baig as key to their wins. Agha believes that the team should focus more on how they play on the day than their statistics, stating that whichever team plays well will win. Despite criticism, Agha insists he takes the game seriously, having played domestic cricket for 10 years and knowing the sacrifices required to reach this stage. He added that giving decent opportunities to out-of-form players is crucial for their development and improvement.",
  "summary": "Pakistan batter Salman Ali Agha believes the the side have not yet displayed a complete team performance in the ongoing One-day International tri-nation series, and hopes the final against Sri Lanka in Lahore on Saturday is where it falls into place. The hosts’ top-order has been notably starved of runs for the series, underscoring Pakistan’s underwhelming campaign with the bat. “Sometimes all of…",
  "key_points": [
    "Pakistan's top order struggling to score runs in ODI series",
    "Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman seen as still capable performers",
    "Coach Mike Hesson emphasizes playing a 'perfect game'"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}