Tag: champions Trophy 2017

Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has recalled the advice he gave to his players ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 final against arch-rivals India.

Pakistan thrashed India by 180 runs to clinch their first ICC title since 2009 courtesy of some fine batting and bowling performances from Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Amir.

Zaman’s phenomenal performance helped the Pakistani team post a mammoth total of 338 runs which resulted in a famous victory over arch-rivals.

Similarly, Mohammad Amir wreaked havoc on India’s top order in the Champions Trophy 2017 final with his bowling, dismissing the star-studded trio of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli, to help Pakistan achieve one of the most glorious feats in history.

Amir’s sensational figures of 3 for 16 in six overs helped the Green Shirts to bowl out India for 158.

Recalling Pakistan’s campaign in the tournament, Sarfaraz Ahmed said that the team made a remarkable comeback after losing the group-stage match against India.

The archrivals faced off in the group stage games where India defeated Pakistan by 124 runs (DLS method).

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“In 2017, we played India in our first match and were soundly beaten by 124 runs. It was my first game as captain and we were poor in all areas,” he shared.

“Afterwards, we had a great team meeting, and some of our senior guys – Shoaib Malik, and Mohammad Hafeez – all said their piece. You need those types of characters around you,”

However, the Men in Green kept their chances alive in the Champions Trophy as they beat South Africa and Sri Lanka in the following games before defeating England in the semi-final.

Speaking of his mindset and his advice to his players before the game, the former Pakistan captain said that he told his players to ‘relax’ and ‘forget the result.’

“I was just confident our level was very high and my message to the players ahead of the final was to relax,” Sarfaraz said.

“We knew we had beaten some of the best teams, so India was nothing we had not seen. I told the guys to relax, forget the result and just give 100%. The rest is history.”

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Pakistan pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has recently reminisced about the country’s historic triumph in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, vividly looking back at the electrifying final match against India.

In a recent ICC video, Afridi shared that he was playing for the Pakistan U19 team at that time and it was one of the most special moments in the country’s cricket history.

“I was playing for Pakistan U-19 when we won the Champions Trophy in 2017. I watched that game on TV, and it was a special moment for our country,” he stated.

Shaheen Afridi also expressed his desire to win the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and don the iconic white jacket, while praising Mohammad Amir and Fakhar Zaman for their performance in the 2017 final.

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“I want us to wear that white coat again after the final this time. I can never forget Fakhar Zaman’s innings, which changed the game completely, and Mohammad Amir’s spell,” he added.

“Everyone contributed to the win, but those performances stand out. I believe it was a team effort, and we need that again. We want to win the title once more and keep the trophy at home.”

For the unversed, Mohammad Amir wreaked havoc on India’s top order in the Champions Trophy 2017 final, dismissing the star-studded trio of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli, to help Pakistan achieve one of the most glorious feats in history.

Amir’s sensational figures of 3 for 16 in six overs helped the Green Shirts to bowl out India for 158 after Fakhar Zaman’s century helped Pakistan set a mammoth 339-run target.

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Aqib Javed, the interim head coach of the Pakistan men’s cricket team, believes that the national team can replicate their success from the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 and successfully defend the title in the upcoming 2025 edition.

Pakistan came from behind to win the Champions Trophy 2017, under the leadership of Sarfaraz Ahmed, after defeating arch-rivals India in the final.

In a recent episode of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Podcast, Aqib passionately articulated his belief in Pakistan’s ability to defend their title on home soil.

He emphasized the significance of the upcoming tri-nation series featuring South Africa and New Zealand, highlighting how this series will serve as crucial preparation for the team as they gear up for the highly anticipated mega-event.

“Tri-nation [series] before the Champions Trophy is a good opportunity and it is against major teams,” said Aqib. “So, it will help clear a couple of doubts in the decision-making process.”

“Champions Trophy in Pakistan, in front of our fans, we are very excited and I think, Pakistan can repeat that. We are still the defending champions,” he added.

The former fast bowler elaborated on his vision to broaden the selection of players, aiming to implement a rotational policy.

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“The way cricket is evolving, we will have to increase our players’ pool. For that, you need to take brave decisions sometimes,” said Aqib Javed.

“You can’t carry a player for 12 months. So, we have to develop not entirely but to some extent different teams for red-ball and white-ball cricket so that the players remain fresh and interested.

“So, gaps are essential and I noticed when players stay in a match mood, they do not even get the time to improve their personal skills; be it physical or technical.

“The strive would be to give them four to six weeks of rest after three months so that they can work on their skills, and regain physical fitness because our focus is how to carry them for 10 to 12 years at the top.”

It’s worth noting that the ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy will kick off on 19 February with host and defending champions Pakistan taking on New Zealand in the curtain-raiser in Karachi.

Meanwhile, the season finale is scheduled on 9 March in Lahore, unless India qualify, in which case it will be played in Dubai.

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Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir turned the clock back during The Hundred 2024, prompting former England captain Nasser Hussain to draw a comparison with the left-armer’s spell in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 final.

Amir, representing the Oval Invincibles in the inaugural match of The Hundred 2024 against Birmingham Phoenix, demonstrated exceptional bowling prowess by taking two wickets in just 15 balls and delivering nine dot balls.

During the commentary, Nasser Hussain praised the Pakistani bowler highly, reminiscing about Amir’s memorable spell against India in the final of the Champions Trophy 2017, played at the same venue.

“He likes bowling here [The Oval]. 2017 Champions Trophy final. Shikhar Dawan, India gone. Rohit Sharma, India gone. Virat Kohli gone. 3 for 16 he got in that Champions Trophy final, bowling this end,” said Hussain.

 

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Amir’s two-wicket spell was supported by Adam Zampa’s 3-11, as they bundled Birmingham Phoenix for 89, which was easily chased.

For the unversed, Mohammad Amir wreaked havoc on India’s top order in the Champions Trophy 2017 final, dismissing the star-studded trio of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli, to help Pakistan achieve one of the most glorious feats in history.

Amir’s sensational figures of 3 for 16 in six overs helped the Green Shirts to bowl out India for 158 while chasing a mammoth 339-run target.

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KARACHI: Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi expressed his hope and reiterated the board’s commitment to host the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan.

Naqvi, while addressing the media at the National Bank Stadium on Monday night, following the conclusion of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9, gave an overview of his participation in the ICC Board Meeting, the core agenda of which was the Champions Trophy 2025.

“We are committed towards hosting the ICC Champions Trophy at home. I am really hopeful that it will take place in Pakistan.

“Champions Trophy was on the agenda of the ICC meeting I attended recently, and I reinstated our board’s commitment towards hosting the event.”

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi further revealed that the major stadiums of the country will undergo upgradation before the global event.

“Our three main venues – Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi – will be upgraded before the Champions Trophy. We will upgrade other venues later as well, once these three are done. Our stadiums will be state-of-the-art once they have been renovated.”

He further confirmed to have met his Indian counterpart, Board for Cricket Control in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah on the sidelines of the ICC Board Meeting and revealed that the conversation was “very fruitful”.

“I met with Jay Shah, Secretary BCCI, and the conversation we had was very fruitful. I will not be going into details as it is a sensitive matter, but I want to reassure everyone that PCB is committed towards holding the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, and will leave no stone unturned to achieve that.”

When asked about a decision being made regarding the coaching staff, Chairman PCB replied, “We are currently working on it. We are trying to finalise the coaching staff at our earliest.

“I will not go into details, but there is a lot of backend work being done to search and finalise the staff, as the players are scheduled to leave for Kakul soon as well. We will try to hire the best we can find.

“I will not be taking any names, as all the discussions are in preliminary stages. We will announce the coaching staff as soon as it is locked.”

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi then went on to acknowledge the deteriorated conditions of pitches in the country’s major stadiums and shared that he is planning to get around five different kinds of pitches in the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore.

“I am trying to get four or five different kinds of pitches made in National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore. One will be made out of Australian soil, one will be made out of English soil and the remaining two or three pitches will replicate other regions,” stated PCB Chairman.

I hope we are successful in this endeavor as such pitches are required by our players. Our stadium pitches are quite dead as well so they need to be worked upon. We do not have technical experts for this in the country so we might need to fly someone in,” he concluded.

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KARACHI: Pakistan fast bowler Rumman Raees has spoken highly of fellow pacer Mohammad Amir for his outstanding spell during the Champions Trophy 2017 Final against India, calling it the ‘best spell’ witnessed by him in life. 

Left-arm quick Amir wreaked havoc on India’s top order in that memorable encounter with arch-rivals, dismissing the star-studded trio of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli, to help Pakistan achieve one of the most glorious feats in history.

Rumman, who was part of Pakistan’s 2017 Champions Trophy squad, recalled that magical opening bowling from Amir and expressed his admiration for then teammate by rating it above all the other spells he had seen in his life.

“Mohammad Amir’s spell is the best spell I’ve witnessed in my life,” he said in an interview with Youtuber Nadir Ali.

“Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan were all in their top forms but the way he bowled against them was simply exceptional. In fact, I forgot my grief for not being part of the team”

“I was sitting in the dugout along with Faheem Ashraf and Ahmed Shahzad and all three of us found it mesmerizing to see his swing and all (the action) from that angle,”

Furthermore, he disclosed that the atmosphere at The Oval had changed drastically as the Indian team supporters started to leave the ground after Amir’s spell.

“It was all blue,” he recalled the atmosphere inside the stadium filled with Indian fans. “But once Amir got wickets of Rohit, Kohli and Dhawan, their supporters started to scatter”

“Later on, the atmosphere turned from blue to green and then the way our fans chanted slogans was simply exceptional.”

It is worth mentioning here that Pakistan outclassed India by 180 runs in the 2017 Champions Trophy final to win the title for the very first time.

Amir’s sensational figures of 3 for 16 in six overs helped Green Shirts to bowl out India for 158 while chasing a mammoth 339-run target. Fakhar Zaman, on the other hand, bagged the Player of the Match award for his magnificent century.

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LAHORE: Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed recalled the iconic Champions Trophy 2017 title victory and revealed that he told them they would return in white jackets.

Following the fifth anniversary of Pakistan’s Champions Trophy triumph, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) released a video of the former captain Sarfaraz, who recalled the journey of the historic triumph.

The former captain recalled the commencement of their Champions Trophy 2017 journey against the arch-rival India and revealed that the team had a very productive meeting following the crushing defeat.

“Our journey started with the match against India. We had a very detailed discussion after the defeat where each and every player and the coaches were present,” Sarfaraz stated.

“In that discussion, we spoke about how to win, the best lineup, our players’ attitudes, and whether we could continue to play cricket as we did in this match. We, then, pledged to overcome each other’s shortcomings and the last thing I told to my players that we will return home wearing these white coats,” he maintained.

The former captain went on to reminisce about the historic final against India and claimed that he had a completely different feeling as a captain before walking into the ground than that of the opening encounter against the same opposition.

“As a captain, I think, I was feeling completely opposite in the final as I had in the opening encounter. I was very confident and that’s because our team were in a good momentum and we all know whenever Pakistan team is in momentum, they play brilliantly,” Sarfaraz shared.

The former captain then lauded the Green Shirts’ hero with the bat Fakhar Zaman, whose century powered the side to a commendable total, while also claiming that his opening partner Azhar Ali provided a better momentum earlier in the innings.

“Fakhar played an outstanding inning after losing his wicket on a no-ball. I think Azhar Ali provided a better momentum than Fakhar early on and the latter and the rest of the team then carried the same momentum,” Sarfaraz said.

“Whoever then went out to bat, played brilliantly like Babar, Hafeez Bhai, and Shoaib Bhai. We elevated him [Shoaib Malik] in the batting order and he played a good knock for the team as well,” he maintained.

Sarfaraz also recalled the match-winning spell of Mohammad Amir in the final, who dismantled the strong Indian top-order comprised of the then top-ranked batter Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Shikar Dhawan. The former captain also praised the former head coach Mickey Arthur for his efforts and involvement with the team.

“Then when we came out to bowl, Amir bowled a really magnificent spell and I think such spells are very unique to watch and it was a match-winning spell,” he said.

“It was the effort of our entire team, the way they adapt and performed on the ground, and our coach Mickey Arthur also worked hard for this glory and remained involved with the team in all the odds,” he concluded.

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