Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez has expressed his concerns about the national team’s current performance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, stating that it is going through a difficult phase.
Mohammad Hafeez’s comments came after Pakistan’s disappointing ICC Champions Trophy 2025 performance.
For the unversed, the hosts and defending champions, Pakistan, crashed out of the tournament after successive defeats at the hands of New Zealand and India.
The Men in Green’s final group game against Bangladesh was abandoned due to rain, leaving the 2017 edition winners without a win in their first ICC event hosted in nearly three decades.
Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel
Pakistan finished last in Group A behind Bangladesh, with just one point and a negative Net Run Rate (-1.087).
In a recent cricket show, Mohammad Hafeez praised Salman Ali Agha and Saim Ayub as the Pakistan team’s ‘most valuable players’.
Mohammad Hafeez recalled his experience as the director of the Pakistan team for two months, during which he ‘gave’ opportunities to young players like Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, and Saim Ayub in the Australia tour.
Catch every Champions Trophy update here!
“When I joined the team as a director, there was perception that the team’s bench strength was not ready,” he said.
He further mentioned that players like Saim Ayub and Agha Salman were included, but there were questions raised about their inclusion in the team.
“We brought in players such as Saim Ayub and Agha Salman, but at the time, there were questions about why these selections were made.”
“Their inclusion prompted protests. Following that, we experimented with different players; however, many others did not get a chance to play across various formats,” Hafeez concluded.
READ: Pakistan set unwanted records after Champions Trophy early exit