ICC Champions Trophy 2025, PAK vs NZ LIVE Updates© AFP

Former spinner Harbhajan Singh has warned the Indian team to be cautious of Fakhar Zaman in the upcoming fixture against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy. India and Pakistan will add another chapter to their famed cricketing rivalry in Dubai on February 23. Ahead of the much-anticipated encounter, Harbhajan warned the Rohit Sharma-led side to be wary of Fakhar, who has the experience to take the game away from India. “Fakhar has that experience, and he can take the game away from India,” Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.

The southpaw boasts an impressive record against the Men in Blue in the ODIs. With his explosive approach, Fakhar has garnered 234 runs in six matches, averaging 46.80 at a blistering strike rate of 82.39.

In the Champions Trophy, India and Pakistan last battled in the final of the 2017 edition at The Oval. Fakhar proved the difference between the two sides when the stakes were high.

After being put to bat on a placid surface, Fakhar delivered a swashbuckling 114 from 106 deliveries to lift Pakistan to a herculean score of 338/4. In reply, India’s batters crumbled in pursuit of the mounting target and succumbed to a 180-run defeat.

The defending champions, Pakistan, hold an edge over India in the Champions Trophy, winning three compared to India’s two out of their five matches in the tournament.

During the buildup of the Champions Trophy, India will enter the tournament with a scorching form. Days before the Champions Trophy, the Rohit Sharma-led side sweeped the ODI series away with a 3-0 win over England.

On the other hand, Pakistan has been dwindling for consistency, form and rhythm. On their home turf, the Men in Green lost the ODI Tri-nation series between South Africa and New Zealand.

The hosts comprehensively lost the first game against the Kiwis but found their rhythm by chasing down a record 353-run target against South Africa in Karachi.

In the final, New Zealand edged out the Men in Green without breaking a sweat, establishing their supremacy before playing the tournament opener against Pakistan on Wednesday. Before featuring in the high-profile match against Pakistan, India will begin its campaign against Bangladesh in Dubai on Thursday.

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 marks the ninth edition of the tournament, having first been held in 1998 as the ‘ICC KnockOut Trophy’. Over the years, the tournament has been won by seven nations, ensuring countless incredible moments on the field. With the Champions Trophy set to return in Pakistan and the UAE, we take a look back at five of the most iconic moments from past editions of the tournament, according to the official website of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Virender Sehwag wins it with the ball

Star batter Virender Sehwag turned the game with his off-spin as India qualified for the final of the 2002 edition with an exciting triumph over South Africa in Colombo.

Sehwag had already contributed a splendid half-century as India posted a competitive total of 261/9 at R Premadasa Stadium, but the Proteas appeared in control during the run chase as they took the score to 200 with seven wickets still in hand and nine overs still remaining.

Enter Sehwag, who took the key wickets of Mark Boucher, Jacques Kallis and Lance Klusener to seal an enthralling victory for India and book their place in the final against Sri Lanka.

West Indies’ heroic victory

Things looked bleak for the West Indies when key batter Shivnarine Chanderpaul was dismissed and the Caribbean side still required 81 runs for victory with just two wickets in hand against England in the 2004 title decider at The Oval in London, but an incredible ninth-wicket partnership between Courtney Browne and Ian Bradshaw paved the way for a remarkable run chase.

Browne and Bradshaw put on an unbeaten 71 as the West Indies successfully chased down England’s decent total of 217 with seven deliveries remaining as the Caribbean side claimed their inaugural title.

England stun South Africa at home

England had a day out in this high-scoring encounter at Centurion in 2009 as they booked their place in the knockout stages with an eye-catching triumph over the host nation South Africa.

Owais Shah was the hero with the bat as he smashed six sixes in an innings of 98, while pace duo James Anderson and Stuart Broad picked up three wickets apiece in reply as the Proteas fell agonisingly short in reply.

Graeme Smith played a lone hand for South Africa with a brilliant 141, but that wasn’t enough as England progressed to the semi-finals with plenty of momentum.

Lasith Malinga stars in low-scoring thriller 

Low-scoring contests can often lead to climatic finishes and that was certainly the case in Cardiff in 2013 as New Zealand pulled off a remarkable one-wicket triumph over Sri Lanka.

Not many would have expected Sri Lanka’s low total of 138 to be competitive, but pacer Lasith Malinga had other ideas as he ripped through the Black Caps’ middle-order to reduce New Zealand to 122/8 in reply.

It was left to Tim Southee and Mitchell McClenaghan to guide the Kiwis over the line, but not before Sri Lanka had threatened to produce a massive upset.

It was a memorable day at The Oval in London as Pakistan clinched their first Champions Trophy title with an emphatic victory over arch-rival India.

Fakhar Zaman leads Pakistan to victory over India

Opener Fakhar Zaman set the ball rolling with a superb century as Pakistan put 338/4 on the board and an inspired bowling performance from Mohammad Amir ensured that score was more than enough.

Fakhar was initially dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah, but a no-ball by India’s pace spearhead came back to haunt him as Fakhar took full advantage of his lifeline.

Amir tore through the heart of India’s top-order by dismissing Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in quick succession and India could never recover as they were bundled out for just 158 in reply.

Pakistan vs South Africa, Tri Series 3rd ODI, Live Streaming: After making a losing start, hosts Pakistan are all set to face South Africa in the third ODI of the ongoing tri-series in Karachi on Wednesday. Pakistan will be coming to this match after facing a big 78-run defeat against New Zealand. Their new opponents South Africa also had a similar fate as they also lost against the Kiwis by six wickets. With two wins, New Zealand have entered the final and will be facing the winner of today’s match in the summit clash on Friday.

Earlier on Monday, star cricketer Kane Williamson hit a brilliant century to take New Zealand into the tri-series final with a thumping six-wicket against South Africa. He also overshadowed South African opener Matthew Breetzke‘s record score on debut. Breetzke scored 150 — the highest score by any batter in his first one-day international.

When will the Pakistan vs South Africa, Tri-Nation Series 3rd ODI match be played?

The Pakistan vs South Africa, Tri-Nation Series 3rd ODI match will be played on Wednesday, February 12.

Where will the Pakistan vs South Africa, Tri-Nation Series 3rd ODI match be played?

The Pakistan vs South Africa, Tri-Nation Series 3rd ODI match will be played at the National Stadium in Karachi.

What time will the Pakistan vs South Africa, Tri-Nation Series 3rd ODI match start?

The Pakistan vs South Africa, Tri-Nation Series 3rd ODI match will start at 2:30 PM (2 PM) toss.

Which TV channels will telecast the Pakistan vs South Africa, Tri-Nation Series 3rd ODI match?

The Pakistan vs South Africa, Tri-Nation Series 3rd ODI match will be telecast on the Sony Sports Network.

Where to follow the live streaming of the Pakistan vs South Africa, Tri-Nation Series 3rd ODI match?

The Pakistan vs South Africa, Tri-Nation Series 3rd ODI match will be streamed live on FanCode app and website.

(All the details are as per the information provided by the broadcaster)

Pakistan star Fakhar Zaman has stated that he would miss coming to play in India, having enjoyed his time during the 2023 World Cup. A joint-decision was reached by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025, of scheduling India-Pakistan matches in neutral venues till at least 2027. It has meant that India will play all of their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai, and Zaman also reflected on that matter.

“Yes, we will definitely miss (playing in India),” Fakhar Zaman said, speaking to Sports Tak.

“We enjoyed a lot during our visit there for the ODI World Cup 2023. We were delighted with the kind of support and the hospitality we got there. The locals gave us a warm welcome when we went to Hyderabad for the first time, they all showered their love on us. Yes, we will miss it all,” Zaman continued.

Zaman is expected to feature for Pakistan in their 15-man Champions Trophy 2025 squad. He scored a century the last time the two sides met in the Champions Trophy final, in 2017, as Pakistan won the tournament.

“If India had come to Pakistan, we would have given them an even grander welcome and hospitality but they are not coming. It’s fine, but we’re excited to play against them in Dubai,” Zaman added.

A long-standing saga came to an end in recent weeks, as a final decision was reached on future India-Pakistan encounters in ICC events or Asia Cups to be played at neutral venues till 2027.

Meanwhile, the saga may not yet be over, with the captains’ meet and the opening ceremony for the tournament set to be hosted in Pakistan itself. In this instance, India captain Rohit Sharma‘s presence is not yet a certainty.

India and Pakistan haven’t played in a bilateral series since 2012. They square off in the Champions Trophy 2025 on February 23.

Babar Azam (L) and Virat Kohli© X (Twitter)

File photo of Fakhar Zaman.© AFP

File image of Fakhar Zaman.© AFP

Opening batter Fakhar Zaman, who recently criticised Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for dropping Babar Azam from the Test team, has been removed from the list of centrally contract players for the season 2024-25. After Pakistan’s heavy loss to England in the first Test against England, PCB’s new selection committee took a brave decision to drop out-of-form players, including Babar, from the squad for the remaining two Tests. However, Fakhar called out the PCB over the same with a lengthy post on social media.

Fakhar compared Babar’s run drought with India’s Virat Kohli, who went through a lean patch between 2020 and late 2022. Reacting to Fakhar’s omission from the list of centrally contracted players, fans suggested that the player has been penalised for supporting Babar.

Imagine dropping someone with the calibre that Fakhar has, that too on pitches that suit him, bouncy and quick in Australia, yes he could have been a bit more political but you can’t punish him for expressing his opinion by strapping him from the central contract.

— Hannan (@withhannan) October 27, 2024

Fakhar Zaman sacrificed his career for Babar Azam. He may never be able to play for Pakistan again@FakharZamanLive @babarazam258 pic.twitter.com/pN0ZA9fgaF

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) October 27, 2024

Fakhar brought this upon himself. He was under contract and he acted like a retired cricketer expressing his opinion over non selection of non performing Babar Azam. Stupid move.

Hopefully now Babar Azam will tweet for him https://t.co/WRryMlCngf

— LH (@Edwardian842) October 27, 2024

Meanwhile, during a press conference on Sunday, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi addressed and clarified the reasons behind Fakhar’s omission from the central contracts list.

Naqvi confirmed that while the PCB had sent Fakhar a showcause notice, which is under review, the decision to remove him from the central contract list has been taken due to his fitness concerns.

“There is an issue regarding his tweet, but it is not important as his fitness Test. There is a one showcase notice pending on him. This is why we have not named in the central contracts list,” said Mohsin Naqvi.

“It cannot happen like that if selection committee is not playing one player, then the other players start tweeting to express their displeasure. Players are not allowed to function like this, and we will never allow that. The main issue with him is his fitness Test, that he was not able to clear,” he added.

Mohammad Rizwan was on Sunday named Pakistan’s ODI and T20 captain, replacing Babar Azam, as the selectors announced the squads for the white-ball tours of Australia and Zimbabwe beginning November 4.

Salman Ali Agha was made vice-captain for all future ODI and T20 international assignments.

Pakistan will play three ODIs and as many T20Is in their Australia tour, beginning with the first match in Melbourne (ODI) on November 4, and that will be Rizwan’s first assignment as captain.

Agha will lead the T20I side in Zimbabwe as Rizwan is rested under a workload management plan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement.

Pakistan Cricket Board has issued a show cause notice to its centrally contracted player Fakhar Zaman for an alleged breach of the players code of conduct. Fakhar had questioned the decision to exclude Babar Azam from the Pakistan squad for the second and third Test against England in a social media post on Sunday. Fakhar has been asked to submit his reply to the show cause notice by October 21 after the PCB informed him in a notice that he had committed a breach of his contract by criticising the board policies and selection.

“It’s concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. India didn’t bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023, when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively.

“If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan has ever produced, it could send a deeply negative message across the team. There is still time to avoid pressing the panic button; we should focus on safeguarding our key players rather than undermining them,” Fakhar wrote on X.

It’s concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. India didn’t bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023, when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively. If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan…

— Fakhar Zaman (@FakharZamanLive) October 13, 2024

Pakistan managed to lose the first Test despite scoring 556 in the first innings.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has backed its decision to drop the star quartet, batter Babar Azam, former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, and star pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah from the squad for the remaining two Tests against England. On Sunday, the world of cricket was taken by surprise after Pakistan announced its decision to bring in youngsters in place of the established stars after enduring a historic defeat by an innings and 47 runs in the series opener.

The PCB stated that the decision to axe players from the squad has been made in the best interest of Pakistan’s cricket, Geo News reported, citing The News.

A PCB spokesperson backed the board’s decision by stating that the players were “spared from the team to give them rest so that they can come back afresh”.

The decision came after the PCB announced the decision of reconstituting the men’s selection committee. Aleem Dar, Aaqib Javed, Azhar Ali and Hassan Cheema were appointed as the new members of the selection committee.

With ANI inputs