Rawalpindi: Pakistan’s interim head coach, Aqib Javed, stated on Wednesday that the team management would take steps in the best interest of the national side following their disappointing exit from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
The Mohammad Rizwan-led squad faced elimination from the tournament, which Pakistan is hosting, after suffering consecutive defeats against New Zealand and India in the group stage.
Addressing a press conference in Rawalpindi, Javed dismissed the criticism that players were selected without merit, emphasizing:
“Not a single player in the squad was included without performance.”
He further clarified, “We cannot simply replace the entire team with the Under-19 squad just because we lost.”
Javed acknowledged that the players were deeply disheartened by their performance. “When they fail to meet expectations, the players themselves feel the most disappointment,” he said.
Speaking about Pakistan’s elimination, he attributed it to India’s experience, stating:
“The Indian team was highly experienced. When defending 240 runs, taking wickets and maintaining an aggressive approach is crucial.”
Regarding team selection, the interim coach admitted:
“You can never be fully satisfied, but this was the best possible team we had. The belief behind the selection was to create the strongest squad.”
Recognizing the team’s struggles, he admitted that their performance was below par but insisted that improvement is an ongoing process.
“The selection committee’s responsibility is to pick the best players. Moving forward, we will take decisions in the best interest of the team, keeping our focus on future matches,” Javed added.
Pakistan’s dismal campaign sparked outrage among fans and the cricket fraternity, especially as they were the defending champions. They lost their opening match to New Zealand by 60 runs in Karachi, followed by a six-wicket defeat against arch-rivals India, putting them on the verge of an early exit.
Hopes of making the semi-finals rested on Bangladesh beating New Zealand, but that did not happen. Now, Thursday’s match against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi is merely a formality.
Experts have pointed out the lack of competitiveness in Pakistan’s domestic cricket and low-quality pitches as key reasons for the players’ struggles at the international level.
Critics also blame frequent changes in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), coaching staff, and selection committees for the team’s instability.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has also come under fire, with growing calls for his removal due to the team’s continuous failures.
Pakistan’s poor performance in mega-events is not new. In the ODI World Cup 2023, they won only four out of nine matches, finishing fifth in the points table with just eight points. Similarly, in the T20 World Cup 2024, they were eliminated early after losing to both India and the United States.
