Pakistan's disappointing performance in the Champions Trophy 2025 led to their early elimination from the eight-team tournament. Mohammad Rizwan-led Pakistan suffered back-to-back defeats in their opening two matches against New Zealand and India which pushed them to the verge of elimination. New Zealand did the rest by defeating Bangladesh, which shut the door on Pakistan's face. Thus, New Zealand and India became the two teams from Group A to progress to the Champions Trophy 2025 semifinals. With this Pakistan became the first ever hosts team to get knocked out of the Champions Trophy in the group stage.
As co-hosts of the tournament alongside Dubai, Pakistan's early exit has triggered a wave of negative reactions, especially after their drubbing against their arch-rivals India on February 23. The team's performance has been a target for numerous former Pakistani cricketers, who have expressed their dissatisfaction.
Yograj Singh vows to bring Pakistan team on track following early elimination from Champions Trophy
In response to these criticisms, former India pacer Yograj Singh has voiced his own opinion, condemning the behavior of the former Pakistani players. Yograj has expressed a willingness to coach the Pakistan team and vowed the bring the Men in Green on track if given chance.
"Wasim ji what are you doing there...earning money doing commentary. Go back to your country and organise a camp of these players. I want to see which one of you can make Pakistan win the World Cup. Mein jata hoon, ek saal mein team khadi kar kay dikhaunga tum yaado rakhoge (I will go. I will build this team in one year. You will remember it)," Yograj told Sportsnext.
Two-time World Cup-winner Yuvraj Singh's father, a seasoned coach who runs his own cricket academy, has a proven track record of developing talent. Notably, Arjun Tendulkar, the son of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, trained under Yograj's guidance a few years ago. Arjun then made a remarkable Ranji Trophy debut, scoring a century in his inaugural innings and establishing himself as a versatile all-rounder for Goa across all formats.
While Yograj's international playing career was brief, consisting of one Test and six ODIs for India, his impact on cricket extends far beyond his own playing days. He is the father of Indian cricket icon Yuvraj Singh, whom he mentored and played a pivotal role in shaping into a world-class player. Yuvraj's illustrious career included 304 ODIs, 40 Tests, and 58 T20Is, and he was a key member of India's victorious 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup teams.
In the 2025 Champions Trophy, both Pakistan and Bangladesh have been eliminated in the group stage. India and New Zealand have successfully qualified for the semi-finals from Group B. India is scheduled to play the first semi-final on March 4, while New Zealand will compete in the second semi-final on March 5.
