Pakistan Head Coach Gives Excuses For CT 2025 Disaster: ‘Injuries, Inexperience and…’

There was a lot of hype surrounding the Pakistan side heading into the 2025 Champions Trophy, not just because the country was hosting an ICC event for the first time in 29 years but also because the it entered the mega event having won ODI series away in both Australia and South Africa in 2025. 

However, it took only seven games in the competition for Pakistan to bow out, making an utterly embarrassing exit.

New Zealand’s win over Bangladesh officially sealed Pakistan’s fate but, in reality, their competition was done once they suffered a damning six-wicket defeat at the hands of India, a game where they did not even compete. 

Ahead of the Bangladesh match on February 27 (Thursday), the team’s head coach Aaqib Javed spoke about how inexperience cost the Men in Green against India.

"When Pakistan and India is playing, it's not only cricket - it's more than that. You need a lot of experience. This Indian team was the most experienced - they have almost 1500 games together,” Javed said.

“And Pakistan is on the bottom, with less than 400 games together. If you look at players like Babar Azam is the only one who has played more than 100 games. Then there's Mohammad Rizwan (88 ODIs) and then Shaheen Afridi (64 ODIs).

"The rest of them have less than 30 matches. Tayyab Tahir has played like eight games. Imam-ul-Haq (73 games) was coming back in the team. The main thing is, when nothing works, and when you are talking about more than a game, then the experience counts. There is no doubt."

Against India, Pakistan did not have the services of Fakhar Zaman, who got ruled out of the tournament after sustaining a side strain against New Zealand. Even before Zaman, Pakistan had lost Saim Ayub due to an ankle injury.

Javed spoke about how untimely injuries further piled misery on his side.

“We had to bring in Khushdil Shah because Saim was unfit. The reason is that in one-day cricket, you cannot go with 5 bowlers. You have to make a combination of seven batsmen and four bowlers.

"When Saim was there, he used to bat at the top and he used to bowl five to seven overs. When he was not there - we saw that if you do a little research - even with the terrific performances that Khushdil Shah has given in one-and-a-half years of cricket, his wickets…there's no comparison. It was not even a close case or anything. But our job in the selection committee was to give him the best replacement option,” the Pakistan head coach said.

The Pakistan players, management and selectors are all under fire after the team’s dismal showing in the Champions Trophy, but Javed claimed that those on the outside are not justified in asking for heads to roll. He further defended the senior players in the side.

"A common person who doesn't play and is not part of the team management wants reasons and the names of people because of whom this team is losing," Javed said. 

"As far as Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen, Naseem, and Haris are concerned, our plan was to make the best possible 11 or 15. There is no doubt that Shaheen, Naseem, and Haris are excellent bowlers. If you compare them with the bowling attack of any team, they are one of the best fast-bowling options.

"And if you look at Babar - apart from him what other options do you have? We always say that if the team loses, change the team. This is the most inexperienced team already."