Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez feels Pakistan play for money while Team India play for ICC trophies. Hafeez has also dismissed claims that ICC is giving any favours to Indian Team amidst Champions Trophy 2025, including the knockouts, at the Dubai International Stadium. Hafeez asserted that India are simply a team that prioritises winning ICC tournaments and consistently delivers strong performances to support their ambitions. He also made it clear that the perception of undue advantage for Team India is inaccurate.
Mohammad Hafeez on fuss around ICC favouring India in Champions Trophy
The Champions Trophy's hybrid , which saw India's matches held in Dubai, was a direct result of the Indian government's refusal to allow their cricket team to travel to Pakistan.
Following extensive discussions, it was decided that hosting India's games in Dubai offered the most viable solution. However, with India's dominance in the ongoing Champions Trophy, the narrative of a venue advantage gained traction.
Hafeez attributed the perceived disparities in treatment to the differing priorities of various cricket boards. He supported his argument by comparing the financial situations of boards like those of South Africa and Pakistan with that of India. Hafeez explained that, due to limited financial resources, these boards are often unable to provide their players with substantial compensation for participating in international matches. Consequently, they are compelled to grant their players permission to compete in various franchise leagues, even when these leagues coincide with scheduled bilateral series. This necessity to accommodate player participation in lucrative leagues reflects the financial constraints faced by certain cricket boards.
"I went to South Africa in 2021, and they sent their players to the IPL. They are not a financially strong board. They want money. They played their C team against Pakistan. Later, they sent their players to the IPL even during a Test series against New Zealand. Then, when SA20 came, they started treating it like a money-making machine. They don't want to compromise with that. That is their policy," Hafeez said on Game on Hai.
Expanding on his analysis, Hafeez talked about the financial motivations behind the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) acceptance of the Champions Trophy's hybrid format. He asserted that the PCB's primary objective was to generate revenue. Hafeez argued that, aside from the financial gains, Pakistan derived no benefits from hosting the tournament in this manner. He contrasted this with the approach of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which, due to its robust financial standing, prioritises strategic planning and a focus on winning tournaments over immediate financial returns.
"If you look at us, we agreed on a hybrid model twice. Hume kuch nahi mila hybrid model see, other than paise. Toh humne wo le liya Kuchh paise kama liye, baat khatam. Hamara that paisa, humne wo le liya. South Africa bhi. Lekin jo jeetne ke liye khel rahi wo hai India ki team (We didn't earn anything apart from some money. We got what we wanted, which is money. South Africa, too.) The team that is playing to win is India. They plan to win ICC trophies. We talk a lot about them recovering favours. They are not getting any favours from anyone. Whatever they earn is because of the quality of cricket they are playing," Hafeez added.
Talking about India and Pakistan's performances in Champions Trophy, their fortune took a different path. While India ended up landing in the Champions Trophy final, Pakistan suffered an embarrassing early exit, from the group-stage itself and signed off the tournament without a single win.
India will take on New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2025 final on March 9 at the Dubai International Cricket stadium.