“Pakistan Must Be at Their Best Against India”—Ricky Ponting on Champions Trophy Setback

Following a 60-run defeat to New Zealand and Fakhar Zaman’s tournament-ending injury, Ricky Ponting believes Pakistan faces a tough road ahead but must regroup quickly for their must-win clash against India.

New Delhi, February 22: Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting believes Pakistan’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign is in serious trouble after their 60-run loss to New Zealand in the opening match. To make matters worse, star opener Fakhar Zaman has been ruled out of the tournament due to injury, further denting Pakistan’s title defense.

Ponting discussed Pakistan’s struggles on the latest episode of The ICC Review, where he stressed that bouncing back in time for the high-stakes clash against India on Sunday would be a tough challenge.

“It is going to be hard for Pakistan now,” Ponting said, as quoted by ICC.

Fakhar Zaman’s Injury a Major Blow

Pakistan’s campaign started poorly, with New Zealand posting a challenging 320-run total in Karachi. Despite hopes of a strong chase, Pakistan fell short by 60 runs. However, their biggest setback came off the field—Fakhar Zaman’s injury, sustained while fielding, ruled him out for the remainder of the tournament.

Ponting admitted he had originally backed Pakistan to beat New Zealand, but the injury and the pressure of chasing a big total worked against them.

“We spoke only a few days ago, and my prediction was that Pakistan would beat New Zealand comfortably. Fakhar’s injury did not help their cause, but they were chasing a very big total on the back of some great batting from New Zealand.”

Must-Win Clash Against India Looms

With India coming off a strong start in the tournament, Pakistan now finds itself in a do-or-die situation. Ponting emphasized that while Pakistan remains unpredictable, they will need to be at their absolute best to stand a chance against India.

“With Pakistan, we talk about it every tournament—they are unpredictable. You never quite know what they are going to do,” he said.

“On their day, they are as capable as anybody. But now, having lost to New Zealand, they will have to be at their absolute best against India to beat them.”

Moving On from Fakhar’s Absence

Pakistan has confirmed Imam-ul-Haq as Fakhar Zaman’s replacement, but Ponting acknowledged that losing a key player in a major tournament is always heartbreaking.

“These players work for these big tournaments. Fakhar has been in superb touch and making a lot of runs. His teammates would be gutted not to have him, but even more so for him,” he stated.

Ponting advised that the best way for Pakistan to recover is to accept the setback, regroup quickly, and trust in their replacement players.

“You have to get over it. You have to find a way to bounce back really quickly. The best thing you can do is sit back in the dressing room that night, discuss it, and put it to bed. The next day, you regroup and find someone who can step up for Pakistan,” he concluded.

As Pakistan faces India in a must-win match, all eyes will be on how they respond to adversity and whether they can keep their title defense alive.

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