ICC Champions Trophy: Mohammad Rizwan opens up as Pakistan conclude a winless campaign

As the hosts and defending champions, Pakistan failed miserably to live up to expectations at the ICC Champions Trophy. The management faced multiple challenges in their bid to host the tournament, which marked the return of an ICC event to Pakistan after 29 years. Eventually, the path cleared when India's matches were shifted to Dubai, as the PCB agreed to the hybrid model. However, despite all the efforts and extensive renovations of major venues in Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi, the team became the first to be virtually knocked out of the tournament. Clearly a hard-hitting blow, the Pakistan team is in muddle as criticism flows from all around.

A dismal run comes to end for Pakistan at the ICC Champions Trophy

The Pakistan vs New Zealand fixture in Karachi marked the opening of the ICC Champions Trophy on February 19. However, what fans could not have anticipated was that the very first match would derail Pakistan’s entire campaign. New Zealand secured its third consecutive victory over the Men in Green within a week, as Pakistan suffered a 60-run defeat in their tournament opener. Next came the highly anticipated clash between arch-rivals, as Pakistan traveled to Dubai to face India. Despite the hype surrounding the contest, Pakistan proved to be no match for the Men in Blue, succumbing to a six-wicket loss.

The India vs Pakistan clash was enough to virtually knock out the hosts from the Champions Trophy. The official confirmation came the next day when Bangladesh lost to the Kiwis. With that result, both Bangladesh and Pakistan were eliminated, while India and New Zealand secured their spots in the semi-finals. Pakistan’s disappointing run in their home tournament deeply frustrated both fans and the cricketing fraternity alike. Yesteryear legends like Shoaib Akhtar and Wasim Akram heavily criticized the team's performance. From the players to the management, everyone came under scrutiny, as former cricketers questioned both the squad selection and the individual performances of the players.

Pakistan vs Bangladesh washout leaves the hosts winless at the ICC Champions Trophy

The team captain, Mohammad Rizwan, picked up significant slack along with former captain Babar Azam. Both senior members failed to deliver with the bat, while the bowling department also struggled against their opponents. Pakistan’s last opportunity to salvage their dignity was washed out on Thursday. Already eliminated from the tournament, Pakistan and Bangladesh were hoping to avoid a winless campaign as they prepared for their final group-stage match. However, the Pakistan vs Bangladesh clash met the same fate as the Australia vs South Africa fixture, with both matches in Rawalpindi being abandoned due to rain.

As a result, both Pakistan and Bangladesh concluded their ICC Champions Trophy campaigns without opening their win accounts. The washout left Pakistan at the bottom of Group A with just one point from three games and a net run rate of -1.087. This performance marked a historic low, making Pakistan the first host nation since the tournament’s rebranding in 2002 to endure such a disappointing run. Addressing the team’s elimination, captain Mohammad Rizwan acknowledged the immense pressure they faced and admitted that they had fallen short of expectations.

"The expectations from the whole nation is high but we didn't perform and that is disappointing for us. Obviously, you can learn from the mistakes. Thankfully we noticed our mistakes from the tri-series and the big tournament. Hopefully, we can work on it when we play against New Zealand next and, hopefully we can improve there," Rizwan stated.

Despite the advantage of home conditions, Pakistan never found their rhythm in the competition. Consecutive defeats to New Zealand and India only added to their struggles, further dampening their campaign. Rizwan, however, refused to blame injuries for their poor showing, even though the team was missing key players. Fakhar Zaman was sidelined after the first game due to injury, while Saim Ayub had already been ruled out before the tournament began.

"Basically, the guy (Saim Ayub) who has performed well in Australia and here, he is injured. The team gets disturbed. But as a captain, you have to look forward as you are playing for Pakistan. We have a lot of talent, we didn't give it as an excuse that Saim Ayub was injured and Fakhar Zaman was injured," the skipper remarked.

Beyond the immediate setback at the ICC Champions Trophy, Rizwan also stressed the importance of long-term reforms in Pakistan’s cricketing system. He underlined the need for structural improvements at the domestic level to ensure the team remains competitive in global tournaments. 

"Bench strength of Pakistan, we have five teams in Champions Cup. We need lot of improvement in different aspects. We need to bring in awareness and professionalism to take our team to a higher level like other teams. I can't say anything, it's disappointing. We’re here representing our nation, that’s our priority. The expectation of our nation was high. It's disappointed that we didn't perform well. We accept that, our nation is upset, we’re also upset," Rizwan added.