Pakistan's early departure from the Champions Trophy 2025 has ignited a big debate regarding the team's composition and on-field displays. Pakistan, who are hosting the first ICC event after a gap of 29 years, failed to live up the expectations and were knocked out of the tournament in just five days. Meanwhile, amidst this scrutiny, Pakistan's interim head coach Aaqib Javed faced some tough questions when he turned up for team's pre-match press conference ahead of their last league-stage clash against Bangladesh on February 27.
Pakistan coach on questions around Pakistan's Champions Trophy squad selection
Javed finally answered the questions around Pakistan's Champions Trophy selection. He asserted that the squad's selection was based on merit, despite the team's failure to achieve desired outcomes. He stood firmly behind his players, defending the selection process.
“Pakistan picked the best available team, but the performances haven’t matched expectations—that is a reality,” Javed said in the pre-match press conference.
Javed also broken his silence on the reports alleging disagreement between him and captain Mohammad Rizwan on Pakistan's team selection. Reports were doing rounds that that Rizwan favored the inclusion of Khushdil Shah, while Javed preferred Faheem Ashraf. Ultimately, Khushdil Shah was selected for the squad, indicating a potential compromise or change of decision.
Despite these reports of internal conflict, Javed maintained a unified front during the press conference. He said that each player's inclusion in the squad was justified by their performance, reinforcing the idea of a merit-based selection process. Addressing the recurring criticism of Pakistan's perceived over-reliance on Babar Azam, Javed challenged the narrative with a pointed question, implying that the issue was more nuanced than commonly portrayed.
“Right now, apart from Babar Azam, what other options do we have?,” he questioned.
Having already lost to New Zealand, Pakistan's Champions Trophy 2025 campaign took further blow with their six-wicket defeat against India. Aaqib reflecting on the defeat, admitted that the team's total score was insufficient to pose a serious challenge to their Indian rivals.
“Right now, apart from Babar Azam, what other options do we have?,” he questioned.
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Aaqib further attributed Pakistan's struggles to the absence of key players especially in high-pressure encounters. He said that the team's performance was hampered by the unavailability of crucial personnel, which proved particularly detrimental in critical matches where experience and skill were paramount.
“The absence of Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman was felt. Sufiyan Muqeem and Irfan Niazi lacked ODI exposure,” he added.
Despite the disappointing outcome of their campaign, he conveyed that the team is determined to finish the tournament with a strong performance. He stressed that the players remain dedicated to giving their utmost effort despite the dead rubber encounter.
“The players are disappointed with their own performances. The nation must believe that the team is giving its all,” he concluded.