Pakistan’s Head Coach Brutally Warns India Ahead Of Champions Trophy 2025 Clash

For Pakistan, the clash against India on February 23 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium will be more than the highly intense game on the arch-rivals, especially after their 60-run defeat in the opening match of the Champions Trophy 2025 against New Zealand at the National Stadium in Karachi.

The Green Brigade struggled badly in the middle overs against the Kiwis, as Abrar Ahmed and the other spinners failed to take wickets to create pressure, while Babar Azam’s defensive batting in the 321-run chase in the second innings was not enough to get the momentum.

Pakistan faces India in a do-or-die clash without a star batter

The Mohammad Rizwan-led hopes for a victory in the encounter to stay alive in the competition, while a defeat will almost knock them out of the event. At the same time, the blue brigade will qualify for the semifinal.

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Fakhar Zaman, who picked up a muscle injury in the Karachi fixture, batted at number four in the department and is out of the entire competition. The left-handed batter, Imam Ul Haq, has joined the side and is expected to pair with Babar Azam in the opening position. Imam has managed 1568 runs in 46 ODI innings at an average of 37.33, as it will be his first 50-over game since the ODI World Cup in India.

The pressure will be high on Babar, who smashed just 64 runs in 90 deliveries at a strike rate of 71 in the run-chase against the Mithcell Santer-led side. None of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, or Haris Rauf looked threatening in the death overs, as they leaked so many runes to lose the momentum despite picking up three early wickets.

Aaqib Javed warns Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli of this

Due to the traveling issues in Pakistan, the Rohit Sharma-led side got the opportunity to play all of their games in Dubai. Many fans pointed out that despite being the official hosts of the event, the defending champions had to travel to the UAE for the game.

That might be a slight home advantage for India, who has already beaten Bangladesh at the same venue in their opening clash. But, head coach, Aaqib Javed, rejected such a perspective and felt that his side would be ahead in that context, as they played in the UAE from 2009 to 2019.

“There's no advantage [for India] at all because if you look at all the Pakistani players, they have been playing leagues here. The PSL has been played here. So there's nothing really - there's no advantage or disadvantage.” Javed expressed during the pre-match press conference.

“We also have to see the pitch and the ground here. Are these similar to the one we have in Pakistan, or are they different? We will play by the pitches, conditions, and the opposition team.” He added.

Aaqib Javed calls for focus on bat and ball for blockbuster clash

In every ICC tournament, the blockbuster clash always keeps the fans of both countries at the edge of their seats. The players feel the additional pressure of the encounter, but Aaqib Javed has called to keep the focus on the bat and ball.

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“In a Pakistan-India game, the energy will remain high. And this is the beauty of this contest. What does the crowd do? When you play well, the crowd supports you, they clap their hands.” The 52-year-old claimed.

“When you play poorly, be it India or Pakistan, the home crowd will go against you. As a player, you shouldn't keep the crowd in mind. We never kept it, and neither should these players. What's your focus? Ball, bat - that's it.” Aaqib Javed concluded.