Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari criticised Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi for the national team's dismal performance in the opening match of the 2025 Champions Trophy, stating that despite promises of “surgery” and “drips” to fix the team’s issues, no meaningful changes were made, leaving the result deeply disappointing.
Bukhari conveyed her best wishes to the Pakistan team ahead of the highly anticipated Pakistan-India match. She expressed that the team would need more than just hope, relying heavily on prayers for success, and joked that she would even blow a prayer to ensure their victory.
Bukhari also expressed regret over Fakhar Zaman’s absence from the tournament, stating that she had high hopes for him. "If Fakhar was playing, he could have won the match single-handedly," she said.
She further mentioned the promising performance of Saim Ayub, who was unfortunately sidelined due to injury. Bukhari pinned her hopes on fast bowler Naseem Shah for the upcoming matches.
Commenting on internal team politics and the race for the captaincy, she pointed out that these issues have contributed to the team's current struggles. "Babar was once the king of cricket, but now it seems he doesn't know whether he's playing Test or ODI cricket. He appears unsure of his role, and people feared Shaheen's swinging deliveries. But now, the situation has changed," she remarked.
Bukhari also criticised the players for focusing on endorsements, stating, "Just before every tournament, they flood the media with ads. The effort they put into these advertisements, if directed towards match practice, might have led to better performances."
In her criticism of the PCB chairman, Bukhari referred to the national team's performance in the Champions Trophy opener against New Zealand, noting that despite PCB's promises for improvements after a disastrous World Cup performance, no significant changes had been made.
She added that after Pakistan’s dismal defeat against the USA and their first-round exit from last year’s T20 World Cup, the PCB Chairman announced plans for "surgery" within the team. However, no surgeries or "drips" were administered, and the team remains unchanged.
Despite this, the provincial minster emphasised that now is not the right time to discuss such matters, as the tournament has already started and the team has been announced. Therefore, we have no choice but to support this team.
New Zealand defeated Pakistan by 60 runs in the Champions Trophy opener, leaving the national team struggling yet again in an ICC event. As a result, Pakistan finds itself in the familiar "ifs and buts" situation after the first match of another international tournament.
Pakistan's next match is against arch-rivals India on Sunday in Dubai. The Pakistan cricket team has already arrived in Dubai in preparation for the crucial encounter.
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