Pakistan's Champions Trophy Resilience Must Reflect 10-Year Isolation Experience, Says Rizwan

Add as a preferred source on Google

Mohammad Rizwan, the captain of Pakistan's cricket team, has called for his team to display the same determination in the upcoming Champions Trophy as they did during the decade when international teams avoided touring Pakistan.

This period of isolation followed the 2009 terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan cricket team. Since then, top teams like Australia, England, and New Zealand have resumed their tours to Pakistan.

During the years when major teams were absent, Pakistan managed to host Zimbabwe in 2015 and a World XI led by Faf du Plessis for a T20I series. These events aimed to address security concerns. Rizwan expressed excitement about hosting a significant tournament like the Champions Trophy in Pakistan after such a long gap.

"I think, most importantly, we should all enjoy the Champions Trophy as it is after a long time that we are having such a big event in Pakistan, after 10 years that we spent playing our home matches elsewhere," Rizwan told the media here on Tuesday.

Pakistan's Past Achievements

Rizwan highlighted that despite challenges, Pakistan cricket achieved notable successes during those years. They reached the pinnacle of Test rankings and won the Champions Trophy. He hopes for similar performances in the upcoming tournament.

"If you see, even in those 10 years that we suffered, Pakistan cricket did well and won big matches including being the Test No 1 team and winning the Champions Trophy. I hope we can repeat that same thing in this tournament," he said.

The captain acknowledged that performing consistently under pressure has been a challenge for his team. He noted their tendency to falter in tight situations, which has cost them matches recently.

"I think we lack that one or two per cent needed to win matches under pressure because unfortunately, we tend to crack under pressure and lose close matches as we have seen in recent games," he said.

Team Strategy and Leadership

Rizwan emphasised the importance of every player contributing as a leader within the team. He confirmed Babar Azam's role as an opener and assured fans of Haris Rauf's fitness for their opening match against New Zealand. "It is hard to say how we will perform on a particular day because it is important for us to play to our optimum level to win matches," he said.

Reflecting on past defeats to New Zealand in a tri-series, Rizwan mentioned lessons learned and their intent not to repeat mistakes in their Champions Trophy opener. The tournament kicks off on Wednesday, with Pakistan aiming to showcase their best performance from the start.

Flypast by Pakistan Air Force

The opening match will feature a flypast by Pakistan Air Force fighter jets. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued a NOTAM notice advising commercial airlines about this event scheduled for February 19. Flights arriving at Karachi Airport are advised to take precautions due to a closed air corridor and carry extra fuel.

The anticipation surrounding the Champions Trophy is palpable as Pakistan prepares to host this major event after many years. The team's focus remains on delivering strong performances while learning from past experiences.