Pakistan’s Vice Captain Salman Ali Agha has stressed the need for a rotating strike between the wickets after the team’s loss against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy opener in Karachi.

“Improving strike rotation is key,” Agha said after the post-match press conference in Karachi on Wednesday. “It helps in maintaining the flow of the innings, which is vital for setting up bigger totals.”

When questioned about Pakistan’s batting consistency, Agha acknowledged the issue, saying that the team must convert their 50s and 40s into larger scores to secure victories in future matches.

Pakistan failed to chase down New Zealand’s target of 321 runs in the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy, concluding their innings at 260 all out.

The team had a big blow when Zaman, the star batter in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, got injured. He did not open, as part-time openers Saud Shakeel and Babar Azam took the crease to start the innings for Pakistan. He came to the crease at the fourth wicket, but could not perform well as due to the injury he could not take singles.

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“We need to turn our 50s and 40s into bigger scores,” he said. “If we don’t, we won’t be able to win matches going forward.”