Tag: ICC Champions Trophy

Former Australian World Cup-winning captain Michael Clarke has recently revealed his favorites to win the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to be held in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Clarke, who led Australia to World Cup glory in 2015, named his semi-finalists, finalists, and the tournament winners of the Champions Trophy during a podcast with sports presenter Erin Holland.

According to the former skipper, arch-rivals India and Pakistan, along with Australia and New Zealand, are the teams to reach the final four of the tournament due to their strong squads and past performances in the ICC events.

“India, Pakistan, Australia, and New Zealand are the teams I’ve got in my top four,” said Clarke.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

While discussing hosts and defending champions Pakistan, he highlighted the home advantage and the rivalry with India as the main reasons for their inclusion in the knock-out stage.

“The rivalry between Pakistan and India is unbelievable. If they face each other in the tournament, or even in the final, it would be massive,” said Clarke.

“Pakistan has a balanced squad and playing in home conditions gives them a significant advantage. If they play their best cricket, they are good enough to win the tournament,” remarked the former batter.

However, the 43-year-old also doubted the Pakistan team’s ability to thrive under pressure in crucial matches.

“My fear with Pakistan is whether they can handle the pressure. This has always been a concern when playing against them. I’ve seen them have a better team on multiple occasions, but they have struggled under pressure,” explained Clarke.

“It will be interesting to see how they cope with expectations, especially while playing a major tournament at home,” said Clarke.

Michael Clarke further named India and Australia as the teams to face each other in the all-important encounter.

“My fingers are crossed for Australia, so I’m going to say Australia will be one of the finalists. And I think they will face India in the final,” he added.

Finally, Michael Clarke also picked India as the team to clinch the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

“I think India is going to beat Australia in the final. I can’t believe that just came out of my mouth,” Clarke concluded.

READ: Former pacer backs New Zealand for Champions Trophy glory

Former New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee has backed the Mitchell Santner-led side to lift the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, set to commence on 19 February in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.

In an exclusive chat with the ICC, the veteran pacer expressed confidence in New Zealand’s ability to perform in the upcoming mega event.

He backed the team to do well in the tournament after New Zealand’s unbeaten run in the recently concluded tri-nation series.

“The way the team have played, different guys have stepped up. It’s a good mix between some experienced guys and some exciting young guys with a lot of potential,” said the veteran bowler.

“The experience of this Tri-Nation Series is only going to stand them in good stead for the tournament,” Southee stated.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

He further highlighted the role of winning the tri-nation series and New Zealand’s ability to adapt to conditions in Pakistan, as important for building the team’s momentum ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

“So, taking some momentum into the tournament and being accustomed to those conditions, it’s only going to be a good thing,” said the former pacer.

Tim Southee also acknowledged Trent Bolt’s absence from the side in the Champions Trophy, however, he showed confidence in young pacers Will O’Rourke and Nathan Smith off leading the bowling attack in the tournament.

“It’s something different not having Trent and myself at an ICC event but at the same time, it’s exciting. These events are great to be a part of and it’s in front of these guys now, I’m very excited to see how they go,” he stated.

The highest wicket-taker for New Zealand in international cricket further praised the Kiwi run machine Kane Williamson’s performance in the tri-series.

“Kane is in good form, it’s nice to see him with a couple of scores, he’s class. He’s not played a lot of one-day cricket for the last few years but to see him come back and have two significant contributions is what we’re used to seeing,” the former New Zealand pacer said.

Tim Southee believed in his former teammates, backing them to title glory and replicating their success from 2000.

“If you look at the track record of New Zealand in ICC events, they are always there or thereabouts. In a tournament like the Champions Trophy, if you get on a bit of a roll, anything can happen. I’d love to see the Blackcaps there and hopefully lifting the trophy at the end,” he concluded.

READ: Champions Trophy 2025: Additional tickets to go on sale today

Mohammad Hafeez, the former Pakistan cricket captain, has stated his opinion regarding the batting position of Babar Azam for the forth-coming Champions Trophy 2025.

Hafeez believes that Babar should return to his usual No. 3 spot in the batting order in the upcoming tournament.

This suggestion comes after Babar was recently moved to open the innings in the tri-nation series due to an injury to Saim Ayub.

However, his performance in this new role has been underwhelming, with low scores of  10, 23 and 29 in the recently concluded tri-series matches.

For the unversed, Babar has been the mainstay for Pakistan for several years in the ODI format, scoring the bulk of runs.

However, his last One Day International century came against Nepal in the 2023 Asia Cup. It is pertinent to note here that the star batter opened the batting last in 2015, the same year he made his ODI debut.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

In his two outings as an opener that year, he scored 4 and 22 runs, respectively.

Babar Azam primarily plays at No. 3, a batting position where he has amassed 5,957 runs in 123 ODIs at an average of 56, with 19 centuries and 23 fifties.

Mohammad Hafeez feels that Pakistan has other capable openers who could partner with Fakhar Zaman in the Champions Trophy.

In a post on X, Hafeez suggested either of Shan Masood, Imam-ul-Haq or Abdullah Shafique to open the inning with Fakhar Zaman in the Champions Trophy 2025.

Hafeez emphasized that moving Azam back to No. 3 would “make things easier for everyone” and optimize the team’s batting lineup for the crucial tournament.

Pakistan squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025:

Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Usman Khan (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

READ: ‘A big innings is coming’ Aqib Javed backs Babar Azam ahead of Champions Trophy

KARACHI: Pakistan’s interim head coach has backed star batter Babar Azam as an opener on Friday, despite his rough patch ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, starting next week.

Aqib, in a post-match press conference after New Zealand defeated Pakistan in the tri-nation series final, addressed the concerns regarding Babar’s elevation as an opener.

It is pertinent to mention here that Babar has been the mainstay for Pakistan for several years in the ODI format, scoring the bulk of runs.

His last One Day International century came against Nepal in the 2023 Asia Cup, while he has struggled in the recently concluded tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand.

The head coach was confident that the right-handed batter was due for a big innings, especially in an important match for us.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“Babar has gotten good starts, but he needs to go deeper. He has an important innings due and I expect him to score in an important match for us,” said Aqib.

Aqib Javed also explained the rationale behind Star Batter’s promotion as an opener.

“The idea behind Babar’s promotion as an opener is that if you look at the away series against South Africa, he had to bat in the first over in all games.”

“Then Saim got injured and he had to open in Tests too. These pitches don’t have that kind of bounce and seam movement that could trouble the batters at the start. We wanted our best batter to make good use of the powerplay, that suits us more,” explained Aqib.

Aqib Javed described this squad as the best they have and expressed confidence in winning the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

“These bunch of players can do well in the upcoming tournament. You can score 350 if this team bats normally and goes down to number eight,” he said.

He further stated that this team has the capability to defeat any opposition.

“This lineup has everything it needs to beat any team,” remarked Pakistan’s head coach.

READ: Pakistan Shaheens thrash Afghanistan in Champions Trophy warm-up

LAHORE: Pakistan Shaheens defeated Afghanistan by 144 runs in the first warm-up match of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday.

Batting first, Shaheens posted a massive total of 314-8 in their 50 overs. The home team’s Hussain Talat, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Mohsin Riaz belted half-centuries, while all-rounder Jahandad Khan’s late blitz powered the team to reach a formidable total.

Talat was the top-scorer with 70 off 75 balls, laced with seven elegant fours, while Riaz and Irfan chipped in 61 and 57, respectively.

For Afghanistan, Fareed Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers, who took 3 for 56 in eight overs. Noor Ahmad also chipped in with two wickets in his allocated ten overs.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Chasing a daunting total, the Afghanistan team’s premier batting line faltered against Shaheen’s, scoring 170 runs in 38.4 overs.

Rahmat Shah remained the top scorer for the visitors with his 43 runs, while no other batter from Afghanistan’s experienced line-up rose to the occasion.

Pakistan Shaheen’s captain, Shadab Khan, led from the front and took three for 29 in his eight overs.

Afghanistan will play their second warm-up match against New Zealand on February 16 before starting their Champions Trophy campaign against South Africa next week.

On the other hand, Pakistan Shaheens will face South Africa at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi on February 17, while their other squad will be in action on the same day against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.

For the unversed, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has named the three Shaheens squads that will feature in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 warm-up matches in the build-up to the main event, which will take place from 19 February to 9 March.

Schedule of matches featuring Pakistan Shaheens:

14 February – vs Afghanistan, Gaddafi Stadium (1400-2130)

17 February – vs South Africa, National Stadium Karachi (1400-2130)

17 February – vs Bangladesh, ICC Cricket Academy (1400-2130)

Other Champions Trophy warm-up matches:

16 February – New Zealand v Afghanistan, National Stadium Karachi (1400-2130)

READ: Clinical New Zealand seal tri-nation series final in dominant fashion

New Zealand suffered a major blow ahead of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 as key fast bowler Ben Sears was ruled out of the marquee tournament with a hamstring injury.

The right-arm fast bowler, part of New Zealand’s tri-series squad, felt pain in his hamstring during the team’s training session in Karachi on Wednesday.

According to New Zealand Cricket (NZC), a scan revealed a minor tear that would require two weeks of rehabilitation following the injury.

Keeping the tournament schedule in focus, New Zealand Cricket named a replacement, as Sears would have been only available from the BlackCaps’ final group match onwards against India on 2 March.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Jacob Duffy was named Ben Sears’s replacement for the Champions Trophy 2025. Duffy is already part of the ongoing tri-nation series against Pakistan and South Africa.

New Zealand head coach Gary Stead was disappointed after Ben Sears was ruled out of a highly-anticipated event.

“We’re all really feeling for Ben. It’s always tough being ruled out of a significant event at such a late stage, and it’s especially tough in Ben’s case, given it would have been his first major ICC event,” said Stead.

He further stated that considering the short nature of the tournament and Ben Sear’s fitness timeline, it was appropriate to bring in a replacement.

“The timeframes for Ben to be fit to play again meant he would likely miss the majority of the group stage, and given the short nature of the tournament, we felt it was appropriate to bring in a player who is fully fit and ready to go,” said New Zealand head coach.

New Zealand Squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Mitchell Santner (C), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Jacob Duffy, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young.

READ: Babar Azam achieves major milestone during New Zealand clash

Former England batter Kevin Pietersen predicted his semi-finalist teams for the forth-coming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, set to begin on 19 February in Pakistan.

While sharing his thoughts in a recent interview, the flamboyant batter confidently named arch-rivals India and Pakistan as top contenders for the title.

However, Pietersen surprisingly ruled out England and Australia as the semi-finalists due to their recent form and injury concerns.

“I mean, this is so hard. It really is. But with Mitchell Starc pulling out today, I’m gonna say India, Pakistan, South Africa, and New Zealand,” said Pietersen.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Kevin Pietersen further backed South Africa and New Zealand as the two other teams to reach the semi-finals of the marquee tournament.

He stated that these teams have the potential to make a deep run in the competition.

For the unversed, Starc withdrew from the tournament, citing personal reasons, which means Australia will be without their famed pace trio in the mega event.

Starc’s compatriots Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins have already been ruled out of the Champions Trophy after sustaining injuries.

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’s National Bank Stadium.

The eight-team tournament will consist of 15 matches over 19 days and will take place in Pakistan and Dubai.

In Pakistan, Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi will be the three venues to host tournament play. Each Pakistan venue will feature three group games apiece, with Lahore hosting the second semi-final.

Lahore will also host the final on 9 March, unless India qualify, in which case it will be played in Dubai. Both the semi-finals and the final will have reserve days.

READ: England batter faces injury scare ahead of Champions Trophy 2025

England batter Ben Duckett faced an injury scare in the third One Day International against India ahead of the highly-anticipated ICC Champions Trophy 2025, set to commence on 19 February in Pakistan.

India hammered England in the third ODI by 142 runs and swept the series 3-0 on Wednesday, courtesy of Shubman Gill’s sparkling century.

The visitors finished the horrible tour with only one victory across three ODIs and five T20 Internationals.

The left-hand batter, who scored 34 off 22 balls in the last match of the disastrous tour for England, limped severely after the first innings. This added to the team’s ongoing injury concerns.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

According to the reports, the 30-year-old opener tweaked his groin toward the end of the Indian innings. Duckett, who scored 65 in the second ODI and showed good form on the tour, has been the mainstay for England in both white-ball and red-ball matches over the two years.

It is also pertinent to mention that England’s team is already facing injury scares as their pace bowlers, Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, and Jamie Overton were sidelined from the match due to niggles in hot conditions, adding to team challenges.

Moreover, England’s emerging all-rounder Jacob Bethell has already been ruled of the ICC Champions Trophy after sustaining a hamstring injury on a recently completed India tour.

Furthermore, their wicket-keeper batter, Jamie Smith has also sustained a calf injury and was unavailable for the ODI series.

For the unversed, England will kick off their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign against Australia in Lahore on February 22 before playing Afghanistan at the same venue four days later.

They will then face South Africa in Karachi on March 1.

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’s National Bank Stadium.

The eight-team tournament will consist of 15 matches over 19 days and will take place in Pakistan and Dubai.

England’s updated Champions Trophy squad:

Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood

READ: Pakistan trio fined for breaching ICC Code of Conduct in South Africa clash

Former Pakistan captain and wicket-keeper Sarfaraz Ahmed predicted his semi-finalists for the much-anticipated ICC Champions Trophy 2025, set to commence on 19 February in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.

Sarfaraz named defending champions Pakistan, India, Australia, and Afghanistan as the four teams qualifying for the semi-finals.

“If I had to pick four teams that will go in semi-finals, I would probably choose Pakistan, India, Australia, and Afghanistan, but I would not rule any team out,” said the former skipper.

The 2017 title-winning captain also shed light on playing on home turf for Pakistan, lauding the high expectations from fans.

“Playing at home and being the defending champions will surely add pressure; there will be high expectations, but the fans will get behind them,” he stated.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The former captain praised the Afghanistan team and considered them a strong contender in the Champions Trophy.

“It is a stacked field; every team can win it. I think Afghanistan has a strong team. Their spin options are so good, and you will need that to succeed in these conditions,” he remarked.

While reflecting on the current Pakistani squad, the wicket-keeper backed the team and said that the Men in Green have a good chance of defending the title.

“Pakistan have a good chance of defending the title, and I think they have a strong team,” said Sarfaraz.

“Some of the players from 2017 are still there, and we’re talking about some of the best – especially Babar Azam,” he said.

He also highlighted the importance of Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman in the team, calling them a vital cog in the team’s success.

“He is a different Babar to the one that played in 2017, a more mature and dominant player. His batting will be so important for Pakistan, and so will Fakhar Zaman’s,” he added.

The former captain emphasized the importance of Pakistan’s bowling attack, naming Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf as two of the world’s best fast bowlers.

“With the ball, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf are brilliant bowlers and are playing well,” said Sarfaraz.

Sarfaraz Ahmed termed the match between Pakistan and India as one of the most anticipated games in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 while acknowledging the pressure surrounding the encounter.

“In group matches, everyone will be talking about Pakistan’s match against India, and the game will be huge,” he said.

“Whenever we meet, it is a special occasion, and there is so much hype and pressure. But as players, you need to stay calm, try and block that noise out and play with the same intensity as you would play Australia or any other team,” he concluded.

READ: Rizwan, Salman tons power Pakistan into tri-series final; South Africa eliminated

Tom Banton replaced England’s batting all-rounder Jacob Bethell in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Wednesday.

Bethell was part of the three-match ODI series against India. He scored a half-century in the series in which England were beaten comprehensively by the home team.

England’s explosive batter Tom Banton replaced the injured Bethell for the ODI series against India and the highly-anticipated Champions Trophy, scheduled to run from February 19 to March 9.

“England have named Tom Banton as the replacement in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad for Jacob Bethell, who was ruled out owing to a left hamstring injury,” ICC said in a statement.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Tom Banton, who last played for England in an ODI in August 2020, has been in outstanding form in T20 franchise cricket.

He was the second-highest run-scorer in the UAE ILT20 competition, where he amassed 493 runs from 11 innings at an average of 54.77, including two centuries.

For the unversed, England will kick off their Champions Trophy campaign against Australia in Lahore on February 22 before playing Afghanistan at the same venue four days later.

They will then face South Africa in Karachi on March 1.

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’s National Bank Stadium.

The eight-team tournament will consist of 15 matches over 19 days and will take place in Pakistan and Dubai.

In Pakistan, Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi will be the three venues to host Champions Trophy 2025 matches. Each Pakistan venue will feature three group games apiece, with Lahore hosting the second semi-final.

Lahore will also host the final on 9 March unless India qualifies, in which case it will be played in Dubai.

Both the semi-finals and the final will have reserve days. The three group matches involving India and the first semi-final will be played in Dubai.

England’s updated Champions Trophy squad:

Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood

READ: Asalanka heroics power Sri Lanka to 49-run win over Australia