Pakistan focusing on Champions Trophy: Newly appointed Aaqib Javed outlines goals
Pakistan cricket team are now focusing on Champions Trophy, set to be played early in 2025, said newly appointed white-ball coach Aaqib Javed. Javed took over from interim coach Jason Gillespie under whom Pakistan beat Australia in the ODI series.
Speaking ahead of the tour of Zimbabwe, Javed said that his goal was to make a settled squad in the white-ball team which could play in the Champions Trophy. Pakistan are expected to host the tournament in 2025, however there is no confirmation of the schedule from the International Cricke Council due to BCCI’s issues with travelling to the country.
“Our main focus at the moment is on ODI cricket ahead of the Champions Trophy,” Aaqib Javed said in a press conference ahead of the white-ball tour of Zimbabwe.
“You’ll see a settled team in this format. You’ll see changes in the T20I format. We plan to give new players chances in the Zimbabwe series. It is a message and opportunity to the new players to take the chances they’ve been given. If you don’t give new players chances, you’ll never get the opportunity to improve your bench strength.
Javed credited the side under the captaincy of Mohammad Rizwan for their 2-1 win Down Under. This was Pakistan’s first ODI series win in over a decade in Australia.
“Australia has never been an easy tour. When the team went, if we had said we were going to win the series, people would have thought it impossible. Under the new captain [Mohammad Rizwan], they showed the world they could do it after 22 years [by winning 2-1]. They also had chances in the three T20Is, but if you don’t avail your chances, you won’t win,” Javed concluded.
Pakistan’s Zimbabwe tour will starts with the ODIs on November 24, 26 and 28 followed by the T20Is on December 1, 3 and 5. All games will be played in Bulawayo.
Pakistan’s ODI squad for Zimbabwe:
Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani and Tayyab Tahir.
Pakistan’s T20I squad for Zimbabwe:
Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Sufyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan.
PAK’s PROBLMES WITH HOSTING CHAMPIONS TROPHY
India Today has learnt that top cricket administrators are currently emphasising the importance of India’s participation in the marquee International Cricket Council (ICC) tournament, given the significant following and revenue the Men in Blue bring. The PCB has also been made aware of the financial consequences if they withdraw from the event. Pakistan has been urged to refrain from making statements against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and to start working towards a hybrid model to facilitate smooth planning for the eight-team tournament.
There has been a delay in announcing the schedule for the Champions Trophy, which is in a limbo because of the stand-off between the two boards.
The PCB agreed to hosting last year’s Asia Cup in a hybrid model after India refused to travel to Pakistan. As many as nine out of 13 matches, including the final, were held in Sri Lanka. However, Pakistan are firm on not taking a similar route.