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According to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the true goal of the Muhammad Rizwan-led team is to defeat India in Dubai on February 23 and win the Champions Trophy. The mega tournament will take place in Pakistan and the UAE. India declined to send a team to the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, after which the event will be held under a hybrid model policy. The match on February 23 has been made more interesting by the recent strained ties between the two cricket boards.
Pakistani Prime Minister's message to Rizwan's team
"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 at the inauguration ceremony of the renovated Gaddafi stadium in Lahore.
Additionally, Pakistan is also the reigning champion. In the 2017 final, they triumphed over India. Pakistan last defeated India in an ICC tournament in the 2021 T20 World Cup in Dubai.
"It is a big occasion for Pakistan that we are hosting a big ICC event after nearly 29 years. I have full confidence that our team will continue to make the nation proud in the upcoming Champions Trophy," he added.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has renovated three venues in Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi for the Champions Trophy. This is a big moment for cricket in Pakistan. In less than four months, the 35,000-capacity Gaddafi stadium was renovated in preparation for the eight-nation Champions Trophy, which will begin on February 19 and be the nation's first major ICC tournament in 29 years.
The only team competing that will not visit Pakistan for the Champions Trophy is archrival India. Rather, all of India's games, including the highly anticipated group encounter between India and Pakistan on February 23, will take place in Dubai. If India is one of the teams, the March 9 final will also take place in Dubai.
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