A collage exhibiting Na Opposition Chief Omar Ayub (left) and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi. — AFP/Fb@Mohsin Naqvi/FilePakistan staff eradicated from Champions Trophy 2025.Facet looses subsequent matches in opposition to New Zealand, India.Inexperienced Shirts will now face Bangladesh on February 27.
SARGODHA: Pakistan’s early exit within the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025 has not solely drawn widespread criticism in opposition to gamers but in addition landed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi in sizzling waters over the staff’s early exit from the event.
Talking to the media on Tuesday, Nationwide Meeting Opposition Chief Omar Ayub known as for Naqvi to be held accountable and demanded his removing because the PCB head over “repeated failures”.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) politician’s remarks come in opposition to the backdrop of Inexperienced Shirt’s poor run within the mega-event — the primary Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) occasion to be hosted by the nation in 29 years — which noticed them lose the opening match in opposition to New Zealand in Karachi.
Regardless of followers’ expectations for the house staff to carry out properly, the Mohammad Rizwan-led aspect did not put up a notable efficiency and subsequently misplaced in opposition to arch-rivals India on February 23 in Dubai.
With back-to-back losses on the playing cards, the Males in Inexperienced’s development within the Champions Trophy trusted the outcomes of different groups’ matches.
Nevertheless, this door was successfully closed after New Zealand beat Bangladesh on Monday ensuing within the hosts, additionally the defending champions, being eradicated from the event. The staff will now face Bangladesh at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on February 27.
This is not the primary mega-tournament that Pakistan have carried out poorly at. The nationwide aspect, in 2023, solely managed to win 4 out of their 9 matches and completed on 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.
What went mistaken?
Pakistan’s disappointing run within the Champions Trophy 2025 didn’t come up out of mere unhealthy luck however actually, appears to be an amalgamation of various causes and elements, which collectively resulted within the staff’s elimination.
Uncertainty
Rizwan was appointed white-ball skipper in October final yr and led Pakistan to a formidable 2-1 ODI win over world champions Australia — their first sequence victory in 22 years within the nation.
In addition they gained in Zimbabwe and inflicted on South Africa their first dwelling whitewash, with a 3-0 scoreline.
However fast-rising opener Saim Ayub injured his ankle throughout a subsequent Take a look at in South Africa.
Pakistan delayed the announcement of their Champions Trophy squad till the deadline to attend on Ayub’s health however the left-hander did not get better.
So as to add to the house staff’s woes, fellow opener Fakhar Zaman was dominated out of the remainder of the event after the primary match — a 60-run defeat to New Zealand — with a muscle harm.
Inexperienced Shirts’s much-vaunted tempo assault of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf — rested from the Take a look at sequence to maintain them recent — appeared rusty and failed to manage the deathovers.
Poor staff choice
Selectors resisted calls from former gamers and pundits to incorporate a second spinner within the 15-man squad and as an alternative selected just one in Abrar Ahmed.
They relied on part-time spinners Salman Agha and Khushdil Shah, who’ve managed only one wicket between them in two matches.
Pakistan additionally erred by not deciding on a daily opener and took the dangerous step of selling out-of-form Babar Azam to accomplice Zaman.
When Zaman was dominated out they introduced in Imam-ul-Haq as a substitute. He made simply 10 as Pakistan have been crushed by title favourites India by six wickets.
In a shock transfer, they included within the squad all-rounders Khushdil and Faheem Ashraf on the premise of their performances in Bangladesh’s Twenty20 league.
Ashraf had not performed an ODI for 2 years and Khushdil for 3.
Former captain and tv pundit Rashid Latif known as it a “political selection”, blaming exterior affect.
Out of date method
Former skipper and fashionable all-rounder Shahid Afridi accused Pakistan of enjoying outdated cricket.
“In 2025 Pakistan was playing the cricket style of the 1980s and 1990s while other teams had progressed well to adopt an aggressive and modern style,” he informed AFP.
“The ailment of playing too many dot balls also hurt our game.”
Pakistan performed 152 dot balls in opposition to India scoring 241 in 49.4 overs, together with a file 28 balls with no scores within the first six overs.
Their complete of 260 in 47.2 overs within the defeat to New Zealand had 162 dot balls.
“The mindset of Pakistan players does not match with modern-day cricket,” stated Afridi.
“We need a complete overhaul of the system so that we can produce players with an aggressive mindset.”
— Further enter from AFP
