Michael Clarke Criticizes PCB For This Jaw-dropping Reason After Champions Trophy 2025 Debacle

The former Australian captain, Michael Clarke, has ripped apart Pakistan, who didn’t enjoy the first five days of the Champions Trophy 2025 at home. They are on the edge of being eliminated from the eight-team tournament after their two successive defeats against New Zealand and India in the opening two encounters of the event.

Under the leadership of Mohammed Rizwan, they failed to chase 321 runs against the Kiwis in Karachi before displaying their middle-over struggle against India in the second encounter at Dubai.

Michael Clarke slams Pakistan’s planning for India contest

The former World Cup-winning captain had no clue of the Pakistan side for the encounter against India, as they made just one change, including Imam Ul Haq, who replaced injured Fakhar Zaman, who is ruled out of the tournament with injury.

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Pakistan have struggled to deal with the expectation and pressure of playing a major tournament in their backyard. So before a ball was delivered, I could not comprehend how they could. Apart from one change due to injury, Fakhar Zaman was out with that injury sustained in the first game, they made no other changes.” Michael Clarke expressed during a YouTube show, Beyond 23.

“They're playing in entirely different conditions. The conditions in Dubai on that pitch are virtually the opposite of what they just played against New Zealand, yet just one force changed. I could not believe what I was watching.” The veteran revealed.

Michael Clarke highlights follies in Pakistan’s batting line-up

The former New South Wales batter has shed light on the issues of the defending champions’ batting approach in the tournament, as he played the Rohit Sharma-led side with fear rather than going for the counterattack in the middle overs.

The third-wicket century stand between Rizwan and Sau Shakeel didn’t put much pressure on India, as it was their slowest, in terms of run-rate, century stand since 2014 in the 50-over format.

“It's okay to have a bad plan, but a bad plan is better than no plan. Pakistan, to me, I don't know what their plan was with selection, or how they went about the start of their innings.” The former Ashes-winning captain, Michael Clarke, revealed.

“I don't know what their plan was against spin, which they, you know, are very good spin players, or what their plan was to beat India. You can't turn up to the biggest game of the tournament. It was like a final for these two teams without a plan, and that's how it looked to me.” The veteran claimed.

The defeat has almost eliminated the Green Brigade from the 2025 Champions Trophy, even before their last league game against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi.

Michael Clarke criticizes Pakistan’s mental preparation before Champions Trophy 2025

Losing opening Saim Ayub was a huge setback for the Green Brigade before they saw Zaman getting out of the event. But Clarke feels the entire focus for Rizwan’s army should have been on the mental preparation for the competition.

They have now suffered group-stage exits from the 2023 ODI and 2024 T20 World Cup and this Champions Trophy.

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“I go back to the start of the tournament when I said that would be my biggest concern with Pakistan. It's not talent; it's not potential. They have plenty of it. But unfortunately, I think they're gone.” Michael Clarke mentioned.

“To me, this is probably the tournament I'm looking closer at Pakistan than any other ICC tournament. I know this game was in Dubai, but virtually, it's been their second cricketing home when they haven't been able to play inside Pakistan, so they know those conditions so well.” The former Australian captain concluded.

He also laments how the senior players and the administration kept on making the same mistakes and expecting better results with the same playing eleven.