Tag: PAKvIND

‘If you are truly a top team,’ Former Pakistan cricketer throws down challenge to BCCI

Former Pakistan cricketer Saqlain Mushtaq has challenged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to organize a comprehensive bilateral series against Pakistan across all formats.

While speaking on a private TV channel, Saqlain stated that if the Indian cricket team claims to be dominant, they should have no hesitation in playing a full-fledged series across all formats against Pakistan.

“If we keep politics aside, their players are very good, and they have been playing good cricket,” said Saqlain.

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“If you are really a good team, then let’s play 10 Tests, 10 ODIs, and 10 T20Is against Pakistan. That would settle everything,” he added.

The remarks came after Pakistan lost to India in a one-sided encounter on 23 February in the Champions Trophy 2025.

Saqlain Mushtaq stated that the Pakistan team has the potential to be a strong one if it dedicates itself to thorough preparation.

“If we get our preparation right and set things in the right direction, we will be in a position to give solid answers to the world and India as well,” he said.

It is important to note that Pakistan and India last played a bilateral series in 2012-2013. During the successful tour of India, green shirts won the ODI series 2-1, while the T20I series ended in a 1-1 tie.

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For the unversed, the 2017 Champions Trophy winners had a forgettable title defence, suffering back-to-back defeats against New Zealand and India before their last group-stage match against Bangladesh was washed out.

Read: WATCH: Glenn Phillips stuns Virat Kohli with one-handed screamer

Even India’s B team would give Pakistan a tough challenge: Sunil Gavaskar

Former India legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar has slammed the Pakistan team following their disappointing performance and early ouster from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

During a recent interview, Gavaskar highlighted Pakistan’s bench strength and stated that even a second-string Indian team will defeat Pakistan.

“I think a B team from India can certainly give Pakistan a tough fight. A C team, I’m not too sure, but a B team will be very, very hard to beat for Pakistan in their current form.”

“Pakistan has talented players, but they haven’t been able to build a strong backup. It’s surprising that they have struggled to produce batters like Inzamam-ul-Haq,” said Gavaskar.

He further compared the Indian Premier League (IPL) with Pakistan Super League and lamented the absence of top-quality players.

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“The Pakistan Super League (PSL) is being played domestically, yet it hasn’t yielded enough top-quality batters,” he said.

“How has India produced so many young stars? It’s because of the IPL. Players from there have gone on to play domestic cricket and eventually for India. That is something Pakistan must analyze,” he added.

Sunil Gavaskar further criticized the Pakistan batters’ lack of intent during the game against India.

“Mohammad Rizwan hit the first ball of his innings for a four, and I thought we were in for something different.”

“However, the batters soon started blocking deliveries instead of rotating the strike. The Indian spinners completed their overs quickly, and it was surprising that Pakistan’s batters didn’t show any urgency,” he observed.

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For the unversed, the hosts and defending champions, Pakistan, were eliminated after losing their first two matches against New Zealand and India, respectively.

New Zealand beat the Green Shirts comprehensively in the Champions Trophy opener by 60 runs.

After their defeat against the Black Caps, Pakistan lost against arch-rivals India courtesy of a master class from Virat Kohli, who smashed an unbeaten century, chasing a modest total of 241 runs in Dubai.

READ: Champions Trophy: Australia-South Africa match called off due to rain

Salman Butt slams Pakistan cricket team after defeat to India

Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt criticized Pakistan’s team approach after their crushing defeat against arch-rivals India in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Pakistan suffered a crushing six-wicket defeat on Sunday against the arch-rivals India, leaving their title defence hanging by a thread.

While batting first, Pakistan managed a modest 241 before getting bowled out in the final over. In reply, India cruised to victory with 45 balls to spare, thanks to a masterclass from Virat Kohli, who notched up a brilliant century.

While speaking in a post-match show, Butt highlighted the green shirts’ struggles, lately, lamenting the team’s repetitive failures without learning.

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“The issue is not just losing, but the fact that there is no improvement. If mistakes keep changing, it means you are trying new things.”

“But Pakistan don’t seem to know how to construct an innings, post a total, or chase one in ODI format,” he said.

The former opener took a dig at the Pakistan team’s batting approach against India, arguing that the team failed to grab the advantage of winning the toss and batting first.

“We win the toss, bat first, and get five players set, yet no one scores big. Every other team has had at least one or two centurions, but no Pakistani batter has produced a match-winning innings,” he added.

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Salman Butt noted that the team’s bowling unit could not pose a threat to the Indian batter and failed to deliver against them in a crucial match.

“We started well with the ball, but once Rohit Sharma stepped forward and attacked, our bowlers lost control. When batters use their feet, bowlers need to adjust, but Pakistan’s attack struggled under pressure,” he observed.

For the unversed, after the defeat against India, the hosts and defending champion Pakistan are on the verge of elimination from the tournament.

READ: Virat Kohli achieves yet another milestone in international cricket

Champions Trophy: Haris Rauf issues bold statement ahead of India clash

DUBAI: Pakistan speedster Haris Rauf has made a bold statement ahead of the high-octane clash against India in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to be played here on 23 February.

While talking to the media, Rauf emphasized that the Men in Green are focused and composed ahead of their match against India, downplaying the concerns about the team’s morale after the defeat against New Zealand in the event’s opener.

“There’s no pressure at all; everyone is relaxed, and we’ll approach the match just like any other normal game,” Rauf said.

The fast bowler highlighted that the team is confident in giving their best in the next match.

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“All the boys are positive and will try their best. Every match is important for us, and everyone will give their maximum effort.”

“The goal is to put in full effort across all three departments and plan accordingly to win this match,” said the pacer.

While answering a question regarding the injuries of Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub and their impact on the team, he stated that injuries are part and parcel of the game and could happen to anybody at any time.

“Injuries can happen anytime—you can even get injured while walking. Some things are beyond your control, and there’s no point in overthinking them. It has nothing to do with coaching or anything else,” he explained.

Keeping Pakistan’s recent success in mind at the venue, Haris Rauf admitted the importance of their record against India.

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“No doubt, we have defeated India twice at this venue, and we will try to play the same kind of cricket that helped us win those matches. Many of the boys are confident that it will be a good game,” he added.

Haris Rauf further stated that the pitch depends on what conditions are demanding, and this pitch could also favour spinners.

“The record here is quite good, but in the end, it all depends on what the conditions demand. Sometimes, it turns into a spin-friendly track, but the focus is to utilize the conditions in the best possible way,” he concluded.

It’s worth noting that the defending champions and hosts Pakistan began their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with a 60-run loss against New Zealand.

Pakistan will now face arch-rivals India in the much-awaited clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on February 23 before returning home to square off against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on February 27.

Pakistan squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

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

READ: Champions Trophy: Jos Buttler banks on PSL experience ahead of Australia match

‘Not thinking about past Indo-Pak T20 World Cup games’ Babar Azam

Lahore: Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam is upbeat ahead of the T20 World Cup as Green Shirts prepare to leave for UAE on October 15.

The 26-year-old talked to reporters in a virtual presser on a rest day and opined that his side is not bothered with the past results of Indo-Pak T20 World Cup matches.

“Belief matters the most while going into the tournament like World Cup, our confidence and morale is high as a team. We are not thinking what happened in the past and preparing for the new challenge which lies ahead,” he said.

“Focus is to gain momentum by beating India in the first game and take it forward,” he added.

Babar believes that senior players will add value to the team because of their experience. “Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik are match-winners and their experience will help us on the field, they have played many leagues,” he added.

Babar hailed the appointment of Matthew Hayden and Vernon Philander as consultant coaches for the mega event. “They are experienced and will try to benefit from them. Philander has been great with bowlers in the camp, it will be good if we understand each other quickly,” he added.

Pakistan, during the last decade, mostly played in UAE. Babar thinks it will give an advantage but on the day, which side plays better cricket will win.

It must be noted that the squad will play a practice tomorrow at the Gaddafi Stadium and will leave for UAE on October 15 at 11.00 am.

They will play the first warm-up match on October 18 in Dubai against the West Indies. The second will take place on October 20 in Abu Dhabi against South Africa.

Pakistan will officially start the T20 World Cup campaign match against arch-rivals India in Dubai on October 24.

Also read:  ‘India or New Zealand, our aim is just to win’ Hasan Ali

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