February 20, 2025: In the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 opener between Pakistan and New Zealand, Pakistan’s captain Mohammad Rizwan admitted that the team was caught off guard by the high target set by the Kiwis.
Pakistan had gained a solid grip on the match after dismissing key New Zealand batters early on, with the score at just 73 for 3 in the first 20 overs. However, a brilliant partnership between Will Young (107) and Tom Latham (118*) turned the tide, with the duo putting on 118 runs and helping New Zealand recover and set a daunting total of 320/5.
“I think they made a very good target; we didn’t expect they would get 320,” Rizwan said in the post-match presentation. “We thought around 260 when we took early wickets. The Will Young-Latham partnership was crucial. We tried, but they played very smartly, and that’s why they got to that total.”
Despite Pakistan’s bowlers initially making early breakthroughs, they struggled to execute in the death overs, particularly when Glenn Phillips launched a flurry of boundaries, smashing 61 runs off just 39 balls. Rizwan pointed out that the execution in the final overs was poor, especially as Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf conceded big runs in the last few overs.
“Our execution in the end overs was not good, and that’s why they made that score,” Rizwan reflected.
Pakistan’s opening troubles started even before the first ball was bowled, as Fakhar Zaman was forced off the field after injuring his lower back while fielding. Zaman later returned to bat, but his injury affected his movement and performance, resulting in a scratchy 24 from 41 balls. Rizwan acknowledged the loss of momentum at two critical moments—first in the death overs, and then in the powerplay with the bat after Zaman’s injury.
“Losing Fakhar Zaman was crucial,” Rizwan said. “Let’s see what the result from the [scan] is. We lost momentum twice, first in the death overs and then in the powerplay with the bat.”
With the loss to New Zealand, Pakistan’s title defense in the tournament now faces added pressure, especially with their upcoming match against bitter rivals India. Rizwan, however, maintained a calm perspective, emphasizing that they would treat the next match as just another game.
“We didn’t want to put pressure on ourselves by thinking we are defending champions,” Rizwan said. “This match is gone, and the next match is another normal match for us.”
The pressure will be on Pakistan when they face India in their next Champions Trophy match, a contest that could define their chances of advancing further in the tournament.