Journey of Pakistan’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 ended disappointingly as their match against Bangladesh was rained out. Skipper Mohammed Rizwan cited injuries to lead players like Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub as a major factor in their bad performance.
Pakistan’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 tournament ended in sharp disappointment as their final group stage fixture against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi was deserted without a ball being bowled due to persistent rain on Thursday.
Following defeats to India and New Zealand, having already been eliminated from semi-final contention, the hosts finished at the bottom of Group A with just a single point, bringing an underwhelming end to their title defence.
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Pakistan Captain Mohammed Rizwan reflecting on the campaign, and pointed to injuries to key players as an important factor in their struggles, specially the absence of Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman.
Rizwan admitted “We wanted to do well and perform in front of our nation. The expectations were very high, but we didn’t perform well, and it is disappointing for us,”
Mohammad Rizwan emphasized how Ayub’s injury disrupted Pakistan cricket team’s balance, stating, “The guy who has been performing for the last few months in Australia, South Africa, Zimbabwe…the team was settled, and then suddenly when someone is injured, the team gets disturbed.”
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However, Pakistan’s Captain refused to use the setbacks as an excuse. “Yes Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub were injured, but we will learn from this,” he told.
Last year, during Pakistan’s ODI series wins in Australia and South Africa, Ayub played a pivotal role, was ruled out of the tournament after sustaining an ankle injury during the Proteas Test series. Meanwhile, Zaman suffered an oblique muscle strain in the opening match against New Zealand, further weakening Pakistan’s top order.
Rizwan acknowledged that improvements were needed, specially at the domestic level, while asked about the strength of Pakistan’s bench
“We want improvements in different areas. If we want to raise Pakistan’s standards, we need awareness and professionalism. We see that in the Champions Cup, but we need more improvement,” he remarked.
