India's batting great Sunil Gavaskar launched a scathing attack on Mohammad Rizwan-led Pakistan team following their embarrassing defeat against India in their Champions Trophy encounter in Dubai. Gavaskar feels even India B team can thrash Pakistan, given their current state of white-ball cricket.
During an exclusive interaction with Sports Today, Gavaskar registered his astonishment at the decline of Pakistan Team, a nation historically renowned for producing exceptional natural talent, and its inability to cultivate players capable of competing at the elite level.
Sunil Gavaskar blasts Pakistan team after defeat against India in Champions Trophy
Gavaskar's remarks followed India's comprehensive six-wicket victory over Pakistan in a lopsided Champions Trophy 2025 encounter in Dubai on February 23. India's win, fueled by disciplined bowling and a century from Virat Kohli, reinforced their dominance over Pakistan in ODI matches. The Pakistani team appeared lackluster, with their key batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, failing to make an impact in the match. Moreover, the reputations of fast bowlers Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf suffered further setbacks as Indian batters took them to cleaners to chase down the 242-run target without breaking a sweat. India not only beat Pakistan but also pushed them on the verge of virtual elimination from the tournament.
"I think a B team certainly (can give Pakistan a run for their money). C team, I am not too sure. But a B team will be very, very hard to beat for Pakistan in their current form," Gavaskar told Sports Today.
Pakistan batters' flop show
Pakistan entered Champions Trophy without the services of Saim Ayub. Fakhar Zaman further compounded their trouble after getting ruled out of the Champions Trophy due to injury. Imam-ul-Haq, who stepped in for Fakhar, struggled to find his rhythm, ultimately being dismissed for a meager 10 runs off 26 deliveries. Captain Rizwan's innings was equally disappointing, as he managed only 46 runs from 77 balls, displaying a lack of aggression and failing to capitalize on opportunities to pressure the Indian bowlers, especially after Babar Azam's early dismissal.
Saud Shakeel contributed a score of 62 from 76 balls, but he was unable to convert his solid start into a match-winning performance. Khushdil Shah, who faced the challenge of batting with dwindling partners in the final overs, was dismissed for 36 off 39 balls. With the exception of Haris Rauf, who managed to hit a few boundaries towards the end of the innings, none of the Pakistani batsmen were able to maintain a strike rate of 100 or above, indicating a significant lack of firepower and intent.
"It could well have been. The first ball Rizwan faced, he hit for a boundary. Straightaway, I thought there would be a change in approach because, until then, it was all about knocking the ball around. But nothing changed. Before they knew it, the Indian spinners were finishing their overs quickly. It was quite surprising that nothing went their way," he added.
Gavaskar believes that underperforming senior players have been able to retain their positions within the squad primarily because of the absence of promising emerging talent capable of challenging them. This lack of competition, he implied, has contributed to a stagnation in the team's overall performance and development.
"I think it's surprising-this lack of bench strength. Pakistan always had natural talent. Natural in the sense that they may not have always been technically correct, but they had an instinctive understanding of bat and ball. Look at Inzamam-ul-Haq, for example. If you look at his stance, you wouldn't recommend that to a young batter, but he had great temperament. With that kind of temperament, he made up for any technical shortcomings," Gavaskar further added.
"It's surprising that Pakistan have not been able to produce such talents. They also have the Pakistan Super League. How has India produced so many young stars in white-ball cricket? It's because of the IPL. Players from there have gone on to play in the Ranji Trophy and eventually for India. That is something Pakistan cricket must analyse. They need to figure out why they no longer have the bench strength they once did," he concluded.