The head coach of Pakistan, Aaqib Javed admitted that India has an advantage when they only play in Dubai, but he would not use this as an excuse for his team's subpar performance in their Champions Trophy 2025 match on Sunday, February 23. The former fast bowler told the media ahead of Pakistan's last tournament encounter against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi that the players are more devastated than the supporters following their humiliating loss to India in a must-win game.
Aaqib Javed on India playing in Dubai
After former England cricketers Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton asserted that Rohit Sharma's team had an "undeniable advantage" playing at the same location, Aaqib Javed was questioned about why India played all of their matches in Dubai. Hussain said, "Home team - Pakistan, home advantage - India," and accused the International Cricket Council of showing favouritism.
"See, they are in Dubai for a reason. They are playing only in Dubai because of a specific reason. Definitely, playing in one ground, staying in one hotel is an advantage. But we didn't lose because of that. It was not like they played 10 matches before we came there," Aaqib Javed said.
Before travelling to Dubai for the crucial match on Sunday, Pakistan played their tournament opener against New Zealand in Karachi on Wednesday, February 19.
Due to security concerns, India declined to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy and will now playing all of their matches, including the semi-final, in Dubai. According to reports, Pakistan had only intended to have India perform at one of the three locations in the nation—Lahore—before the Indian board made it apparent that it was hesitant to visit there. Before formally adopting a hybrid approach last year, the ICC reached an agreement with the cricket boards of India and Pakistan.
India dominated Pakistan by six wickets, flourishing in the Dubai environment. Pakistan gained an early lead when they chose to bat after winning the toss, but they were unable to capitalize. Except for Saud Shakeel, none of the other batters demonstrated a desire to score a lot of runs. With 46 off 77 deliveries, captain Mohammad Rizwan battled to keep the scoreboard moving, raising doubts about his intentions. With a century from Virat Kohli and a strong start from openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, India chased down the target in just 42.3 overs, while Pakistan's bowling was as mediocre as their batting.
Aaqib Javed on Pakistan players
Pakistan's players are more hurt than anybody else after their lacklustre performance against India, Aaqib Javed said, urging experts and fans to show more understanding for the feelings in the camp.
"There are no excuses in life, nor should there be. If you look at this team, we are all hopeful before a match. But when the team plays and doesn't get the desired results, the players are the most disappointed. They are hurt. We can only try to make the team better. There's no other way. We are focusing on the next game. But when it comes to an India-Pakistan match, there are many emotions involved. You get emotionally hurt. The players are hurt many times more than the fans and journalists. Whatever we are lacking, we need to improve. We will try our best," he said.
Additionally, Aaqib Javed cited Pakistan's inexperience as a primary factor in their loss against India.
"When Pakistan and India play, it's not just cricket. It's more than that. You need a lot of experience. This Indian team is the most experienced - collectively, they have played 1,500 matches. Pakistan, on the other hand, is at the bottom with around 400 games. Babar is the only one who has played more than 100 matches, followed by Rizwan and Shaheen. The others have played fewer than 30 games. Tayyab has played eight, Khushdil 13. Imam was making a comeback. When a match is bigger than just a game, experience matters," he added.
When Pakistan plays Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, they will be trying to avoid a winless campaign.