Parthiv Patel, Dinesh Karthik react to Pakistan's Champions Trophy failure
What's the story
Pakistan's early exit from the Champions Trophy 2025, even as the host nation, has sparked a flurry of criticism. Former Indian cricketer Parthiv Patel was surprised by Pakistan's group-stage exit on Cricbuzz. He emphasized that the team now has no structured way to win major tournaments, which has greatly affected their performances on the global stage.
Performance review
Pakistan's performance in Champions Trophy 2025
Pakistan's performance in the tournament was marred by back-to-back defeats against New Zealand and India in Group A. This resulted in their early exit from the competition, making them the first team to be shown the door. Their exit was sealed when New Zealand defeated Bangladesh, sealing semi-final berths for India and the Black Caps while sending Pakistan and Bangladesh home.
Expert opinion
Patel's critique of Pakistan's cricket standards
Patel slammed that Pakistan qualified for the tournament only because they are the host nation, and not because of their performances in ICC rankings. He said, "When the ranking came in for the Champions Trophy, Pakistan were not in the top eight. They are qualified only because they are hosting this tournament." This comment highlights his concern over the falling standard of Pakistan cricket.
Shared concerns
Karthik echoes Patel's concerns about Pakistan cricket
Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik, who was also part of the Cricbuzz discussion, echoed similar sentiments. He emphasized the increasing internal issues in the Pakistan camp, hinting that these problems have begun to reflect in their on-field performances. "They got to see the changes that needs to be made, even if that means letting go of a few senior players," Karthik said.
Aftermath
Pakistan's disappointing campaign and potential consequences
Pakistan's failure to reach the knockout stage in their first ICC tournament on home soil in 29 years is a huge embarrassment. This has resulted in reports of head coach Aaqib Javed being sacked just three months into his tenure after the debacle. Pakistan also joins an unwanted list of teams to have crashed out of the Champions Trophy group stage as defending champions.