Agha maintained a diplomatic stance on Suryakumar’s reported absence from the pre-final photoshoot.
The two arch-rivals are slated to square off in the title clash on Sunday (September 28) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. This will be the first final between them in the 41-year history of the continental event, which began in 1984.
In a press conference, Salman was asked about Suryakumar’s reported absence from the pre-final photoshoot. To which, he maintained a diplomatic stance, saying that it was entirely up to the Indian team whether they wanted to attend.
“They can do whatever they want, we will just follow the protocol. The rest is up to them—if they want to come, they come, and if they don’t, we can’t do anything,” Agha told reporters.
He stressed Pakistan’s unwavering focus on cricket amid media attention. "We don’t focus on what we can’t control. Media talk, outside noise—we ignore it. Our goal is the Asia Cup. We came here to play good cricket, and tomorrow we’ll aim to win the final."
Pakistan suffered crushing defeats at the hands of India in the group stage and Super 4 fixtures. The final will mark their third meeting in the eight-team tournament.
"I won’t reveal strategy, but as I’ve said, it depends on conditions. In the first match, the pitch turned, so we started with spin. Later, it didn’t, so we used pace. It’s always about reacting to conditions in the moment," Agha stated.
Agha also commented on the pressure of India-Pakistan clashes. "Yes, Pakistan-India games always carry pressure. If I say otherwise, it would be wrong. But the truth is, we made more mistakes than them, which is why we lost. In these games, the team that makes fewer mistakes usually wins. Tomorrow, our goal is to reduce mistakes," he remarked.
Pakistan have lost their last seven matches to India across ODIs and T20Is, including twice in this Asia Cup by seven wickets and six wickets respectively.
While India will look to continue their dominant record, Pakistan will aim to avenge their last two defeats against the traditional rivals to clinch their third Asia Cup title.