February 23 will be one of the most followed days for cricket fans in India and Pakistan for the arch-rivals will clash once again, this time at the Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai. India vs Pakistan – though it happens only a few times now in a year – has often been termed as the ‘greatest rivalry’ in cricket surpassing even the Ashes. The buildup of the Champions Trophy 2025 has made the clash even spicier this time. The Champions Trophy 2025 was supposed to be fully held in Pakistan but the BCCI refused to send the Indian cricket team. After much delay, it was decided that the Champions Trophy 2025 will be held in a hybrid model, with India playing all its matches in Dubai. 

The decision was not taken well by many Pakistan cricket fans. Ahead of the India vs Pakistan Champions Trophy 2025 clash in Dubai, Shahid Afridi was asked about the lack of aggression these days in players. “Aaj kal ke players sab McDonalds, KFC wale hai (Today’s players are Mcdonalds, KFC generation)”, Afridi said. 

Yuvraj Singh, who was part of the panel, said: “India vs Pakistan relationship is like miya-biwi. In the morning they quarrel and in the evening they eat together.”

“Aap fitness ke baare mein na baat kare!” That’s Yuvi being Yuvi!

Catch the IND-PAK legends at their candid best on ! on THU, 20th FEB, 10 PM on Star Sports 1 & Star Sports 1 Hindi!

Start… pic.twitter.com/7dhZmjxYUf

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 18, 2025

“India-Pakistan ka relation miya-biwi ke relation ki tarah hai!” – @YUVSTRONG12

Catch the IND-PAK legends at their candid best on ! on THU, 20th FEB, 10 PM on Star Sports 1 & Star Sports 1 Hindi!… pic.twitter.com/qOgmOkWTl2

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 18, 2025

Recently, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the real task for Pakistan is not just winning the ICC Champions Trophy but also defeat arch-rivals India in Dubai on February 23. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the renovated and upgraded Gaddafi Stadium on Friday night, Sharif said the players must give their best against India.

“We have a very good side and they have done well in recent times but the real task now is to not only win the Champions Trophy but also defeat our arch-rival, India in the upcoming match in Dubai. The entire nation stands behind them,” Sharif said.

Pakistan and India have a history of cricket rivalry and generally, the Indian team has held the advantage in ICC events since the 90s.

Pakistan’s last win in an ICC event against India came in 2021 when they won in Dubai in the T20 World Cup.

But with India refusing to send their team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy and given the recent tense relations between the two cricket boards, the February 23-match has that extra edge to it.

Pakistan will enter the tournament as defending champions. It was last held in 2017 in England with Pakistan winning the final.

“It is a big occasion for Pakistan that we are hosting a big ICC event after nearly 29 years,” Sharif said.

Sharif expressed excitement about the opportunity to host the Champions Trophy in Pakistan after 29 years.

With PTI inputs 

There’s a reason why former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi was given the nickname ‘Boom-Boom’. One of the finest attacking batters Pakistan has produced, Afridi held the record of scoring the fastest century in ODI cricket, having notched up a 37-ball ton against Sri Lanka in Nairobi, for a long time. In 2014, New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson broke Afridi’s record in 36 balls. Former South Africa skipper AB de Villiers then shattered Anderson’s record by registering a 31-ball ton against West Indies in 2015.

While there have been a few quicker tons than Afridi’s, there’s special story behind the retired Pakistan star’s century that Indians are fond of. It was revealed by Afridi himself that he used the great Sachin Tendulkar‘s bat to score that 37-ball hundred.

“I have safely kept the bat with which I played my first innings. The bat created history. It was Sachin’s bat and he is one of my favourite players and I created a world record from his bat. And I am thankful to Waqar Younis for the bat as he was the one who gave it to me when I was practicing before the match. He asked me to play the game with that bat,” he had said in a YouTube video, as per TNN back in 2021.

“The bat played a major role in the making of Shahid Afridi. It’s very special for me. In between, I tried to play with it later on but then decided to preserve it,” he added.

#OnThisDay in 1996. The day Shahid Afridi smashed 11 sixes and took only 37 balls to reach a ODI century.

Afridi when speaking about this innings “when I’m not performing well with the bat I watch my 37 ball hundred on youtube” #Cricket pic.twitter.com/48hLfuKa26

— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) October 4, 2023

Afridi’s former Pakistan teammate Azhar Mahmood also revealed an intriguing story tied to that Sachin Tendulkar bat used by the retired all-rounder.

“In those days, the two Sri Lankan openers, Jayasuriya and wicketkeeper Kaluwitharana, they used to attack upfront. So we thought we need someone who could bat at No.3. Afridi and I ? Wasim said you guys go and try to slog (in the nets). I was slogging sensibly and Afridi went against the spinners, murdering everyone in the nets,” Mahmood recalled.

“Next day, we got the game against Sri Lanka and they said he (Afridi) is batting at number three. I think Waqar (Younis) got a bat from Sachin (Tendulkar), he used the great Sachin’s bat and managed to get a hundred and after that, he became a batsman. Mainly he was a bowler who can hit the ball, but in the end, he had a wonderful career,” he added.

Former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi has made another scathing attack at current Pakistan captain Babar Azam, stating that it is time for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to look at a new captain. In a video that has gone viral on social media, Afridi stated that enough time has been given to Babar as captain, and that now a new captain should be appointed and backed. Afridi stated that Babar has already received a lot more backing than any captain during his own era, but with little success to show for it.

“As far as Babar is concerned, no captain has received such a prolonged opportunity. I’ve captained Pakistan, as has Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq, none of us got such a long chance to captain. As soon as a World Cup would get over, we would be removed from captaincy,” said Afridi.

Recent reports surrounding Pakistan cricket has stated that PCB chairman is unlikely to introduce the ‘major surgery’ that he had earlier promised in order to avoid conflicts with senior players.

Babar has received significant criticism from several former cricketers, experts and fans after Pakistan exited the 2024 T20 World Cup in the group stage. Now, Afridi has pointed out that a new captain should be elected and stuck with.

Shahid Afridi : “Jitne chances @babarazam258 ko as a captain milay hain, aur kisi ko nahi mile Aur Selection Committee 6/7 Logon Ki Thi, @WahabViki Aur @ARazzaqPak Ki He Surgery Kun Huwi” pic.twitter.com/JSY29zykiB

— Thakur (@hassam_sajjad) July 9, 2024

“Babar Azam has gotten plenty of opportunities: two or three World Cups, two or three Asia Cups. In my opinion, whoever you bring in now should be fully backed,” said Afridi.

“I believe that any decision that is taken should be given a lot of time, be it the captain, coach or system,” said Afridi.

Babar Azam had resigned from captaincy after Pakistan failed to make the semi-finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup. However, new white-ball captain Shaheen Shah Afridi was given only a few months, after which Babar was reinstated by the PCB.

Shaheen Afridi also happens to be Shahid Afridi’s son-in-law, having married his daughter Ansha in 2023.

Shahid Afridi also expressed confusion at the PCB’s decision to sack only Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq from the selection committee, when the entire committee consists of seven members.

Pakistan’s former captain Shahid Afridi
| Photo Credit: AP

Former captain Shahid Afridi is confident Pakistan will once again reach the final of the T20 World Cup but expressed apprehension regarding the batters’ sluggish strike rate in the middle overs.

The former all-rounder added that Pakistan’s pace attack comprising Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abbas Afridi and Mohammad Amir is the best in the world.

“The thing that bothers me is the strike rate of our batters, especially in between the seven to thirteen over phase,” Afridi, who is a tournament ambassador for this edition of the T20 World Cup, told the ICC.

“I hope that the strike rate improves in that phase. In terms of runs per over, eight or nine runs per over are needed but still Pakistan are my favourite,” he added.

The 47-year-old, who was part of Pakistan’s title-wining team in 2009, feels the pacers will have a huge responsibility to deliver.

“I feel Pakistan should make the final. The reason is that the conditions (in West Indies and USA) suit our team.”

“I think in any cricket team in the world, nobody has such a strong bowling line-up. All our four fast bowlers have a lot of skill and even the bowlers sitting on the bench like Abbas (Afridi)…has a lot of skill with a good slower ball. It’s an incredible attack.

“If the players with such good skills enter this World Cup against world-class batters they will perform well. All the names will also have a huge responsibility over them.”

Pakistan had finished runner-up in the last edition of the marquee event, losing the summit clash by five wickets to England.

“If we look at the spinners in our team, they are outstanding. They might not be in form but I know they will return in form. In batting, we have great strength,” he added.

He backed skipper Babar Azam to have a good tournament.

“All players in the team are important. But if you look at the performances in the recent past, Babar, (Mohammad) Rizwan, Fakhar (Zaman), Shaheen, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Shadab (Khan) — all of them play an important role and will be key at the World Cup.

“But if I had to pick one, I would pick the captain Babar Azam, because he is the leader. I want him to perform well, make timely decisions which will take the team to victory.”

Pakistan are placed in Group A with India, Ireland, Canada and co-hosts USA.

They play their first game against USA on June 6 in Dallas.

Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi celebrates his team’s victory at the end of the ICC World Twenty20 Final against Sri Lanka at Lord’s on June 21, 2009
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Maverick former all-rounder Shahid Afridi, who played a vital role in Pakistan’s T20 World Cup triumph in 2009, was on May 24 roped in as the tournament ambassador for the ICC’s shortest format showpiece event in the Americas, beginning on June 2.

Afridi thus joined an illustrious group of ambassadors, including India’s Yuvraj Singh, Chris Gayle of the West Indies and sprint legend Usain Bolt.

“The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is an event that is very close to my heart,” said Afridi in an ICC media release.

“From being Player of the Tournament in the inaugural edition to lifting the trophy in 2009, some of my favourite career highlights have come from competing on this stage.

“I’m thrilled to be part of this edition (as ambassador), where we will see more teams, more matches and even more drama than ever before.” In the 2009 edition of the tournament held in England, Afridi was the second highest run-getter for Pakistan with 176 runs, made at a strike-rate of 140 with two fifties.

The former Pakistan captain, who competed in six editions of the T20 World Cup, was the Player of the Match in the semifinal against South Africa and in the final against Sri Lanka that year.

He made an unbeaten 54 off 40 balls in the final at Lord’s as Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by eight wickets to bag the trophy.

Afridi, who was the player of the tournament in 2007 when his team lost to India in the final, said he was looking forward to Pakistan’s match against India on June 8 in New York.

“I am particularly excited to witness the India vs Pakistan fixture on 9 June.

“It is one of the great rivalries in sport and New York will be a fitting stage for this unmissable encounter between two great teams,” he added.

The India vs Pakistan rivalry sometimes spills off the field as well. Apart from the on-field intensity, the poking and mischiefs continue off the field too. Who can forget the exchanges between Virender Sehwag and Shoaib Akhtar, or for that matter Harbhajan Singh. Now, during the IPL, another Pakistn great Shahid Afridi was at the aim of a former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina, While doing commentary during the IPL 2024, Rain was asked if he would come back from his retirement. 

“Suresh Raina hu, Shahid Afridi nahi,” Raina, who last played for India in 2018, said in the reply as the fellow commentators burst out laughing. He retired in 2020. 

Shahid Afridi after announcing retirement from the Pakistan team, made a U-turn and it made a lot of noise. 

Shahid Afridi be like pta nhi aise dangerous situation mein khud hi kyun aage aa jata hun . Suresh Raina owned Pakistani #iplcricket pic.twitter.com/YUbAOjAIfW

— (@abhi7781_) May 21, 2024

Meanwhile, with the T20 World Cup on the brink of commencement, Pakistan are eying to secure the services of West Indies icon Viv Richards as team mentor for the marquee event. The World Cup is ten days away from beginning in the USA and the West Indies. The event will be historic as 20 teams will participate in the tournament for the first time since its inception. Ahead of the tournament, Pakistan are looking to rope in Richards as the team mentor according to Geo News sources.

According to the sources, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is holding a conversation with the former West Indies batting maestro.

The former West Indies star boasts vast experience as well as the knowledge of playing the Caribbean.

It is also believed that PCB’s decision to bring in Richards is inspired by the 72-year-old’s impact in the Pakistan Super League. Richards serves as a mentor for the PSL franchise Quetta Gladiators.

However, PCB face a major challenge in bringing in Richards due to his existing media commitments for the event.

Pakistan have completely revamped their white-ball set-up since the departure of former director of cricket Mohammad Hafeez earlier this year.

Last month, former South Africa cricketer Gary Kirsten was announced as the head coach for the limited overs cricket.

It was under his reign, that Pakistan’s arch-rival India lifted the 2011 World Cup trophy on their home soil and ended their 28 years of wait. India also became the number-one team in the ICC Test rankings during his stint.

Kirsten recently arrived in Leeds and linked up with the ‘Men in Green’ ahead of their four-match T20I series against England.

The 56-year-old will look to inspire the Pakistan team to the World Cup glory. Their upcoming four-match series against England will help them prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

With ANI inputs