Pakistan males’s cricket crew’s interim coach Aqib Javed speaks to the media on February 26, 2025. — Screengrab through Geo Information”Cannot simply replace the entire team with the Under-19 squad”.”This was the best possible team we had,” says coach Aqib Javed.He concedes that crew’s efficiency was not up to speed.
RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s interim head coach Aqib Javed mentioned on Wednesday that the administration would take steps in one of the best curiosity of the nationwide crew following their humiliating exit from the Champions Trophy.
The Mohammad Rizwan-led crew was disqualified from the mega occasion, which Pakistan is internet hosting, after two successive defeats — by the hands of New Zealand and India — throughout the group stage.
Talking at a press convention in Rawalpindi, Javed dismissed the notion that gamers have been chosen with out benefit, saying: “Not a single player in the squad was included without performance”.
“We cannot simply replace the entire team with the Under-19 squad just because we lost,” he famous.
Acknowledging the gamers’ disappointment, Javed mentioned that the crew was disheartened. “When they fail to meet expectations, the players themselves are the most affected”.
Javed pointed to India’s expertise as a decisive consider Pakistan’s elimination, saying: “The Indian team was highly experienced. When defending 240 runs, taking wickets and attacking are crucial.
“Planning shouldn’t be restricted to simply enjoying in opposition to India; it applies to each match,” he remarked.
When asked about his satisfaction with team selection, the interim coach responded: “You possibly can by no means be absolutely happy, however this was the absolute best crew we had. The assumption behind the choice was to create the strongest squad”.
Acknowledging Pakistan’s struggles, he said that it is a fact that the team’s performance is not up to the mark. However, Javed noted, that improvements must be made, and this process cannot be halted.
He further added: “The choice committee’s job is to subject one of the best gamers. Shifting ahead, we are going to make choices in one of the best curiosity of the crew. Our focus stays on making ready for the following match”.
The coach’s remarks come against the outcry by fans and cricket fraternity alike after Pakistan, the defending champions, lost their opening game to New Zealand by 60 runs in Karachi last week before Sunday’s six-wicket defeat to arch-rivals India pushed them to the brink of an early exit.
Pakistan needed Bangladesh to beat New Zealand on Monday to keep their slim hopes of a place in the semi-finals alive, but the result went the other way.
Thursday’s match with Bangladesh in Rawalpindi has been reduced to a dead rubber.
A lack of competitiveness in domestic cricket and low-quality pitches have been blamed for not preparing players for the international stage.
The sport in Pakistan is also held back by frequent changes to the cricket board, coaching teams and selection panels, critics say.
Apart from the players being in the crosshairs, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has also come under scrutiny over the team’s dismal performance with even calls for his removal over “repeated failures”.
This is not the primary mega-tournament that Pakistan have carried out poorly at. The nationwide facet, in 2023, solely managed to win 4 out of their 9 matches and completed in fifth place on the factors desk with eight factors within the ODI World Cup 2023.
The Inexperienced Shirts then additionally crashed out of the T20 World Cup 2024 which noticed them dropping to India in addition to the USA.
