“Pakistan Cricket Board is sleeping”: Ex-player urges Men in Green to learn from Afghanistan ahead of ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Pakistan and India are set to clash once again in a high-stakes match during the upcoming Champions Trophy, scheduled for next month. While Pakistan will host the tournament, India will play all their matches, including knockouts, in Dubai due to security concerns. The rivalry between these two cricketing giants has always drawn significant attention, and their meeting in the Champions Trophy will be no exception.
The last time Pakistan and India faced off in the Champions Trophy final in 2017, Pakistan emerged as the surprise champions, defeating India in an impressive manner. Sarfaraz Ahmed, the then-captain of Pakistan, played a crucial role in leading his team to victory. Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has suggested appointing Sarfaraz as a mentor for the Pakistan team, particularly for the match against India in this year’s tournament.
Basit expressed his opinion that Sarfaraz’s experience from the 2017 Champions Trophy final would be invaluable against India. He emphasized, “In this match, Sarfaraz’s suggestions will work. He has the experience of lifting the trophy against them.” Basit also took a swipe at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), claiming that they were slow to appoint a mentor, especially when other teams like Afghanistan had already made wise choices. “Afghanistan appointed the great Younis Khan as mentor, who is a good choice. People in Pakistan must be sleeping, so is the board,” Basit added.
Pakistan’s performance against India in ICC tournaments has been less than favorable since their 2021 T20 World Cup victory over India. They have since lost to India in the 2022 T20 World Cup, the 2023 ODI World Cup, and the 2024 T20 World Cup. With this in mind, Basit believes Sarfaraz’s guidance could make a difference.
India, on the other hand, will begin their Champions Trophy campaign on February 20 against Bangladesh. Their much-anticipated match against Pakistan will take place on February 23, followed by a game against New Zealand. India will play all their matches in Dubai.
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