Pakistan’s white-ball captain, Mohammad Rizwan, has acknowledged that fielding errors and missed opportunities were key factors in their six-wicket loss to India in the ICC Champions Trophy on Sunday. Following the defeat at the Dubai International Stadium, Pakistan now faces the risk of an early exit from the tournament.
Speaking about the game, Rizwan admitted that Pakistan failed to make the most of the toss advantage and praised India’s disciplined bowling attack. “We won the toss, but we didn’t get the benefit of it. Their bowlers bowled very well. Saud Shakeel and I wanted to take the game deep, but our shot selection let us down. They put us under pressure,” Rizwan said.
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Rizwan further admitted that Pakistan’s performance across all departments, particularly fielding, was below par, which allowed India to capitalize. “Whenever you lose, it means you didn’t perform well in all departments. We wanted to squeeze them, but we couldn’t. Kohli and Gill batted very well and took the game away from us. We need to improve in our fielding as we made a lot of mistakes,” he added.
Shoaib Akhtar Slams ‘Brainless’ Management After Pakistan’s Defeat
Following Pakistan’s loss, former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar did not hold back in his criticism of the team management, blaming poor tactical decisions for the team’s struggles. In a video posted on ‘X,’ Akhtar expressed his disappointment with the lack of a clear strategy.
“I am not disappointed because I already knew what was going to happen when you don’t select a fifth bowler. The world is playing with six bowlers, and you can’t even select five. You take two all-rounders with you—I don’t know what you’re thinking,” Akhtar remarked.
Akhtar went on to criticize the management’s flawed selection process, calling it “brainless and cruel,” and said the players lacked understanding of their roles. “It’s just a brainless and cruel management, and I am really disappointed. What can we even say about the players? The management is like this, so the players are the same,” he stated.
While Pakistan faltered, Indian star Virat Kohli delivered a match-winning performance, scoring an unbeaten century to lead India to victory. Akhtar praised Kohli’s brilliance, calling him a “superstar” and a modern-day great.
“Hats off to Virat Kohli—he is a superstar, a white-ball run chaser, a modern-day great. There is no doubt about it. And I am really happy for him. He is an honest guy. He has also completed 14,000 runs. This guy has achieved it all, and he deserves all the praise,” Akhtar concluded.
