Champions Trophy 2025: Captain Mohammad Rizwan spoke to the media on the eve of Pakistan’s first game against New Zealand in Karachi. He talked about the team’s history as an underdog at important events and the return of an ICC tournament to Pakistan.
Mohammad Rizwan, the captain of Pakistan, has asked supporters and pundits to keep underestimating the team if that is the key to their success in important competitions. At a news conference held in Karachi on the eve of the Champions Trophy 2025, Rizwan spoke openly while maintaining a relaxed demeanor. On Wednesday, February 19, Pakistan will play New Zealand at the National Stadium in Karachi to begin their campaign.
Rizwan emphasized that the team’s focus remained on providing their best on matchday and leaving the rest to the Almighty when asked if their success was due to being underdogs and avoiding the weight of expectations.
Pakistan was the lowest-ranked team going into the 2017 Champions Trophy. But they exceeded expectations under Sarfaraz Ahmed’s guidance, defeating India by 180 runs in the final at The Oval to win the trophy. After losing badly to India in the first game, nobody had anticipated Pakistan’s comeback, yet they dominated Virat Kohli’s team in the championship match.
Similar to this, Pakistan appeared to be out of the running halfway through the 1992 World Cup until Imran Khan’s team pulled off an incredible comeback to win the nation’s only 50-over World Cup.
“Continue to underrate us if that’s how we win. “I hope we win,” Rizwan quipped.
Rizwan, who will captain Pakistan in an ICC tournament for the first time, highlighted the significance of mastering the fundamentals in the eight-team competition, which starts on February 19, while acknowledging that the team had room for improvement.
“Look, we’re worried about a few things. I believe that as players, we need to raise our level of awareness a little. We must become more professional,” Rizwan said.
“Pakistan has undoubtedly accomplished a great deal. We have developed players of the highest caliber. Young cricket players still come to us to study, and players from other nations follow suit.
“I believe that if we work hard, execute our plans, and play smart cricket on the day, the Almighty will reward us,” Rizwan added.
NO ONE SHOULD DOUBT PAKISTAN’S TALENT: RIZWAN
For the first time since the 1996 World Cup, an ICC competition will be held in Pakistan, and excitement is running high. Pakistan is prepared to welcome the return of high-profile international cricket to its shores, as seen by the imposing billboards in major cities and the excited throng lining up at ticket counters.
Rizwan saw the Champions Trophy as the start of a better future, even though he acknowledged that Pakistan had been denied access to elite international cricket for more than ten years.
“We often state that even though we haven’t had any foreign teams visit Pakistan in ten years, our squad and procedures nevertheless produced excellent performances for the country. Therefore, nobody should question our skills, abilities, or facilities.
“Yes, there may be days when we don’t play to our full capacity or perform well, which gives other teams an advantage. However, we are making every effort to address that and guarantee that the outcomes benefit Pakistan,” he stated.
The 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore marked the beginning of Pakistan’s protracted ban from hosting international cricket. Foreign teams were hesitant to tour due to the ensuing security worries, which prevented Pakistan from having home games for years.
International cricket did not resume until 2015, when Zimbabwe became the first side to go on tour. Major teams, though, continued to be cautious. In 2017, the ICC assembled a World XI captained by Faf du Plessis, which played a three-match T20I series in Lahore to assist rebuild confidence in Pakistan’s security measures.
As a result of the initiative’s success, teams from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies were able to visit in later years.
Powerhouses in cricket, including England, South Africa, and Australia, had resumed bilateral series in Pakistan by 2021. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) worked steadily to bring the Pakistan Super League (PSL) back home, eventually hosting the entire tournament in the country
