Pakistan will take on New Zealand in the opening match of the Champions Trophy on Wednesday, February 19, at the National Stadium in Karachi. The hosts head into the competition on the back of a 5-wicket loss to the same side in the final of a tri-nation series, also involving South Africa. Days after chasing a 350 plus target against South Africa in Karachi, Pakistan opted to bat at the same venue, but were restricted to under 250 by the Black Caps, who chased down the total without any discomfort.
The result was not only an eye opener for the Mohammad Rizwan-led side, but also highlighted Pakistan’s unpredictability as a cricketing nation.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, former India batter Aakash Chopra likened Pakistan team with their country, highlighting the inconsistency issue.
“Pakistan’s weakness is not a weakness of today. It’s a perennial weakness. Of course, they are the defending champions in the Champions Trophy, but the truth is that they get stuck under pressure. They lost to the USA in the last ICC event (2024 T20 World Cup) and didn’t qualify for the second round,” said Chopra.
However, Chopra suggested that Pakistan will be under pressure in the Champions Trophy after a recent run of poor results at ICC events.
“They are inconsistent. Their graph goes up and down. They rarely have a flat line. They are probably like their country. Their country also goes like that, up and down. The same is reflected in their cricket team. They are volatile. They are an unpredictable side. Pakistan’s middle name is unpredictable. So imploding under pressure and an unpredictable side, those are a couple of issues. Can Pakistan overcome that? That is my question mark because they will be under pressure,” he added.
Sarfaraz Khan, who led Pakistan to the Champions Trophy title in 2017, feels that the current squad looks more strong on paper his champion side.
“The team looks very strong, and playing in home conditions gives them a major advantage. They know their own grounds well, and that knowledge will play a crucial role. If you compare this team to the 2017 Champions Trophy-winning squad, this current team actually looks stronger on paper,” Sarfaraz told Cricket Pakistan.
“Babar Azam is a world-class player now. Fakhar Zaman, who was a newcomer back then, has evolved into a much more experienced player. Back in 2017, Babar was still finding his footing, but today, he is Pakistan’s top batsman on the international stage. Fakhar has also developed into a top player,” Sarfaraz stated.
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