February 28, 2025: Pakistan’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign came to a disappointing end as the team was knocked out after their final group stage match against Bangladesh was washed out. Finishing at the bottom of Group A, Pakistan’s hopes of advancing to the semi-finals were dashed following back-to-back losses to New Zealand and India. Their sole point, earned from the washed-out match, wasn’t enough to keep them in contention for the knockout stages.
Captain Mohammad Rizwan expressed his deep disappointment after the team’s elimination, acknowledging the high expectations placed on the team, especially as the tournament was being held in their home region. “We wanted to do well and perform well in front of our nation. The expectations are very high. We didn’t perform well, and it is disappointing for us,” Rizwan said, as quoted by ICC.
Rizwan also addressed the disruption caused by the absence of key players, Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman, both of whom were sidelined due to injuries. Ayub, who had been a standout performer for Pakistan in recent series against Australia and South Africa, was ruled out due to an ankle injury sustained during the South Africa Test series. Zaman was also a crucial member of the squad but had to withdraw after suffering an oblique muscle strain in the opening match against New Zealand.
“We wanted to do well and perform well in front of our nation. The expectations are very high,” Rizwan continued. “The guy who has been performing for the last few months in Australia, South Africa, Zimbabwe… the team was combined and then suddenly when someone is injured, the team will be disturbed.”
Despite the setback, Rizwan refused to use the injuries as an excuse, highlighting that the team must learn from the experience and continue to improve. “Yes, Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub were injured, but we will learn from this,” he said.
Regarding the team’s bench strength, Rizwan emphasized the need for more improvements in Pakistan’s domestic circuit to raise the standard of players coming into the national side. “We want improvements in different things. If we want to improve, and for Pakistan to have a high standard, we need awareness and professionalism,” he noted.
Looking ahead, Rizwan set his sights on the upcoming series against New Zealand, where Pakistan will play a five-match T20I series and three ODIs starting March 16. He remains optimistic that the team can learn from their mistakes in the Champions Trophy and bounce back stronger in the upcoming series. “We have made mistakes in the last few games. Hopefully, we can learn from these. We are next going to New Zealand and hopefully we can perform there and the mistakes that we made against New Zealand here in Pakistan, we can learn from that. And we will do better in New Zealand,” Rizwan concluded.
Pakistan now looks forward to the challenge against the Black Caps, hoping to turn their fortunes around in the upcoming international fixtures.