Pakistan Skipper Mohammad Rizwan Reflects on Champions Trophy Disappointment
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Pakistan Relinquish Champions Trophy Title On Home Soil
ICC Champions Trophy defending champions Pakistan will be forced to hand over the coveted title this weekend, having faced a bitterly disappointing campaign in this year's edition of the competition. The Shaheens suffered back-to-back defeats at the hands of New Zealand and arch-rivals India in their first two games of the tournament, respectively, and all hopes of salvaging some pride were dashed when their final group-stage match against Bangladesh was washed out without a ball being bowled.
The relentless downpour left the pitch waterlogged, with the covers in place and puddles forming across the outfield. However, the gloomy conditions were not confined to the field of play, as the Pakistani players in the dressing room came under major criticism for their poor showing in their home tournament, while many fans also lambasted the team’s controversial selection process. In the end, both Pakistan and Bangladesh were awarded one point each, with the Green Shirts ending bottom of the table owing to a poor net run rate of -1.087, despite most of the best online bookmakers installing them as second-favourite in Group A at the start of the tournament.
The final of the tournament is set to play out at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, so be sure to make use of our Champions Trophy predictions to gain deeper insight on who will be crowned champs this year.
Rizwan Opens Up on Pakistan’s Champions Trophy Performance
Looking back on Pakistan’s challenging campaign, team captain Mohammad Rizwan highlighted injuries to key players as a major contributing factor to their struggles in the tournament, particularly the absence of Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman. Rizwan noted that Ayub’s injury had a profound impact on the team’s balance, pointing to his performances against Australia, South Africa and Zimbabwe in the lead up to the competition.
"We wanted to do well and perform in front of our nation. The expectations were very high, but we didn't perform well, and it is disappointing for us. The guy who has been performing for the last few months in Australia, South Africa, Zimbabwe... the team was settled, and then suddenly when someone is injured, the team will be disturbed.”
Zaman, who has been one of the Shaheens’ best batsman in recent years, was initially included in the squad but was forced to withdraw after sustaining an oblique muscle strain during the opening match against the Black Cpas. When questioned about his satisfaction with Pakistan’s rotation players, Rizwan acknowledged the need for further improvement and stressed the importance of developing a deeper talent pool via their domestic circuit.
Pakistan’s next challenge will be a tour to New Zealand, where they are set to play a five-match T20I series followed by three ODIs, starting on March 16. Looking ahead to the upcoming series, Rizwan acknowledged that the team’s primary focus is on making a strong comeback later this month, and you can check out our experts' cricket predictions for the upcoming duel ahead of the series commencing.
