Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has cast doubts over Pakistan's national cricket team's ability to perform in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is set to begin on February 19.
Harbhajan took a swipe at Pakistan's batting line-up and questioned the credentials of their star player, Babar Azam, as a top-tier batter.
In a detailed analysis shared on his YouTube channel, the Turbanator compared the current forms of Pakistan and India, suggesting that the Men in Green face significant challenges ahead of the prestigious tournament.
"Pakistan are a very inconsistent team," Harbhajan remarked.
"If you look at their stats and compare them with the stats of Indian batters and bowlers, the picture becomes quite clear. However, I believe that stats are based on past matches, and no one knows what will happen in the future. But as a prediction, when I compare both teams, there is a big difference. The Indian team looks well-settled, whereas Pakistan's team seems a bit unsteady," he added.
His comments particularly focused on Babar Azam's performance, questioning his status as one of the world's top batters.
With the former skipper often regarded as the backbone of Pakistan's batting, Harbhajan noted that his average of 31 falls short of the standards expected from a top-tier player.
"Babar has an average of 31. If a batter with a 31 average calls himself a top batter, I believe a top batter should have an average close to 50, which he doesn't. His average against India is particularly poor," he pointed out.
While acknowledging Mohammad Rizwan's positive attitude, he also criticized his batting average against India, which stands at just 25.
The 44-year-old went on to highlight the lack of depth in Pakistan's batting lineup, emphasising that apart from Babar and Rizwan, no other batter truly stands out.
He pointed out that players like Faheem Ashraf, with an average of just 12.5, and Saud Shakeel, whose average against India is a mere 6, are unlikely to pose any serious threat in the Champions Trophy.
"Right now, if we look at Faheem Ashraf, his average is 12.5. I don't think he can pose a threat to the opposing team. And Saud Shakeel's average against India is 6. So, with such averages, when I look at the batting lineup, I don't have the confidence that this team will win," he asserted.
Despite his criticisms, Harbhajan did express some optimism for Fakhar Zaman, who boasts an impressive average of 46 against India.
"Fakhar's average against India is 46, which is quite good. He has the ability to take the game away from the opposition. I feel he is the only proper batsman in this regard, but they have made Babar an opener," he said.
Turning his focus to India, Harbhajan was far more confident in their chances. He cited the recent form of key players like Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Axar Patel and Virat Kohli, noting that India is a well-settled team with strong depth in both batting and bowling.
"India is very strong right now. India has the form; recently, Rohit has made runs, Gill has scored runs, Axar Patel is in form, and Kohli has also recently scored a fifty. Although Kohli is not in the form we've seen before, I think he will make runs here," he said.
He also highlighted the strength of the Indian bowling unit, mentioning their recent white-ball series wins over England at home.
The 44-year-old also mentioned Afghanistan as a potential surprise package in the tournament, stating, "The second team I feel will perform well in this tournament is Afghanistan. They are a team that will play very well in these conditions."
As for Pakistan's opening match of the Champions Trophy 2025 against New Zealand, Harbhajan predicted another defeat for Pakistan, citing the Black Caps' recent success against them.
"New Zealand defeated them on home soil. And now, look, New Zealand will play the first match against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy opener, and I think New Zealand will defeat Pakistan again because they have figured out what they need to do," he predicted.
Looking ahead to the much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash, Harbhajan remained confident that India would come out on top.
"In the match between India and Pakistan, Pakistan is far behind, and India looks like a team that can win this Champions Trophy," he boldly stated.
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