NEW DELHI: ICC Champions Trophy 2025 occasion ambassador and former Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed has urged the hosts to take care of a wise and intense strategy once they face India on February 23 in Dubai.
Sarfaraz, who captained Pakistan to their memorable Champions Trophy triumph in 2017, highlighted the distinctive strain and pleasure surrounding an India-Pakistan conflict.
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“Each time we meet, it’s a big day and there’s a lot hype and strain round it,” he shared in an unique column with the ICC. “However as gamers, you must keep calm, try to block that noise out, and simply play with the identical depth as you’d play Australia or another workforce.”
He expressed confidence in Pakistan’s capability to defend their title beneath captain Mohammad Rizwan. “Pakistan have a extremely good likelihood of defending that title and I feel they’ve a robust workforce. A number of the boys from 2017 are nonetheless there and we’re speaking about a few of the greatest – particularly Babar Azam.
“He’s a distinct Babar to the one which performed in 2017, a extra mature participant and a dominant participant within the sport. His batting can be so vital for Pakistan and so will Fakhar Zaman’s.”
Sarfaraz additionally highlighted Pakistan’s bowling energy, citing Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf as key gamers. “With the ball, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf are good bowlers and are enjoying effectively. The captain, Mohammad Rizwan, can be a wicketkeeper-batter, which labored fairly effectively for me again in 2017!”
Not like within the ICC ODI World Cup or the T20 World Cup, the place India have dominated, Pakistan maintain a 3-2 edge of their Champions Trophy encounters. Pakistan will start their marketing campaign in opposition to New Zealand on February 18 in Karachi earlier than going through India in a high-stakes match on February 23 in Dubai.
