The Pakistan Cricket Team is in a turmoil—like most of the times. They entered the ICC Champions Trophy as dark horses, with their tail’s up for hosting an ICC event after 29 years. However, Pakistan’s tournament started in the worst possible fashion, losing Fakhar Zaman before getting thrashed by New Zealand and India. As a result, a plethora of questions were thrown at Pakistan, especially regarding their squad.
Outgoing Pakistan head coach defends squad selection
Pakistan head coach Aaqib Javed attended the pre-match press conference, where he shared his thoughts on Pakistan’s team selection. He opined that the selectors picked the “best available team.” Also, he argued that all the players earned their places based on performances.
“Pakistan picked the best available team, but the performances haven’t matched expectations—that is a reality. Some players are crucial for specific matches. Everyone in the squad earned their place based on performances. Right now, apart from Babar Azam, what other options do we have?”
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Apart from this Javed also rued the absence of Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman. Ayub was injured earlier this year and was forced to miss out from the tournament. Meanwhile, Fakhar injured himself on the very second ball of the Champions Trophy 2025. As for Fakhar, the Pakistani opener is contemplating to retire from international cricket.
“The players are disappointed with their own performances. The nation must believe that the team is giving its all. Without a strong total, bowlers are forced to adopt an aggressive approach. The absence of Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman was felt. Sufiyan Muqeem and Irfan Niazi lacked ODI exposure,” he stated.
Pakistan have been already knocked out from the tournament after loss to New Zealand and India. They will play the last but an inconsequential match against Bangladesh on February 27 in Rawalpindi.
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