KARACHI: Pakistan all-rounder Salman Ali Agha pinpointed a timid powerplay performance and the delayed arrival of opener Fakhar Zaman as critical factors behind the team`s 60-run defeat to New Zealand here at the National Bank Stadium on Wednesday, admitting the hosts `lacked momentum` throughout the match.

Chasing a mammoth 321-run target, Pakistan collapsed to 260 all out with Salman playing a quick-fire knock of 42 off 28 deliveries, among the batters failing to convert starts.

He conceded the team`s cautious approach in the first powerplay scoring just 22 runs while losing two wickets set a damaging tone.

`We didn`t play well in the powerplay. That is the main reason we lost today,` Salman said in the post-match press conference. `We were never able to build momentum.

He emphasised the void left by Fakhar who was forced down to the number four as a result of his absence from the field due to injury during New Zealand`s innings calling him Pakistan`s `best powerplay utiliser.

Without Fakhar`s aggressive intent, Pakistan`s top order crawled to their secondlowest powerplay score in the past two years.

Salman, who walked in at 69-3, said he attacked immediately to reduce the mounting required rate but acknowledged the batting unit`s broader failures.

`The match was slipping away, so I had to charge from the start. But partnerships are crucial, and we didn`t stitch them consistently,` he said, referencing Pakistan`s five partnerships under 20 runs.

The middle-order batter contrasted the display with Pakistan`s record run chase against South Africa earlier this year, where strike rotation and collaboration anchored victory.

`We need to convert our small scores into bigger ones. If we keep getting out after small scores, these losses will keep happening,` he stressed.

Salman also addressed Pakistan`s constant failures against New Zealand the BlackCaps winning the last three matches between the two sides due to lack of consistency.

`If you want to be the best side, you have to be consistent. We`re lacking that,` he said.

Khushdil Shah was the highest run getter for Pakistan and he echoed Salman`s views about Fakhar`s absence while talking after the match.

`I`m familiar with batting in situations when the required run-rate is around 11-12. However, we did suffer because of Fakhar`s injury at the start,` he said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah who took two wickets while giving away 63 runs, noted that Pakistan were not doing well in the death overs and that`s where, he thought, the match slipped away from their hands.

`We need to improve with our bowling in the death overs and even as a batting line-up we need to think how we are going to chase such scores in the upcoming matches,` he said.

Naseem acknowledged that the pitch did not offer much to the bowlers.

`The pitch didn`t have much to offer for bowlers. It broke a little bit in the second innings. I feel as a batting unit we need to improve.