Pakistan’s Champions Trophy campaign began on a poor note as they suffered a 60-run defeat to New Zealand in the tournament opener at home. The loss, their third to the Kiwis in two weeks (the first two came in a tri-series) exposed glaring flaws in Pakistan’s batting approach, raising serious concerns ahead of their high-stakes clash against India.
Chasing 321, Pakistan never looked in control, with their top-order crumbling under pressure. Babar Azam’s 64 off 90 balls lacked intent, while captain Mohammad Rizwan (3 off 14) and Saud Shakeel (6 off 19) showed little urgency.
Fakhar Zaman, batting at No. 4 after missing most of Pakistan's fielding due to an injury scare, struggled to inject momentum, managing just 24 off 41 deliveries. By the time the lower-order stepped up, the match had already slipped away.
Following the loss, Pakistan players faced significant criticism from fans and former cricketers alike; however, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram, who was part of the side's World Cup-winning team in 1992, stated that these are the “best players” Pakistan currently have. He also bashed the age-old criticism of ‘parchi’ (selected on reference) players, stating that it doesn't work in international cricket.
“Look, if you want me to be brutally honest, I can be. In our culture, we are like ‘these are our kids, don't criticise'. It's very normal here. But I think these are our best players. If there were someone better than them, they would've been selected. Here, we have this popular word called parchi. At this level, parchi doesn't work. It's very difficult to explain this to Pakistan people,” said Akram on Dressing Room show on YouTube, which also features India's Cheteshwar Pujara and Nikhil Chopra.
{{/usCountry}}“Look, if you want me to be brutally honest, I can be. In our culture, we are like ‘these are our kids, don't criticise'. It's very normal here. But I think these are our best players. If there were someone better than them, they would've been selected. Here, we have this popular word called parchi. At this level, parchi doesn't work. It's very difficult to explain this to Pakistan people,” said Akram on Dressing Room show on YouTube, which also features India's Cheteshwar Pujara and Nikhil Chopra.
{{/usCountry}}“We have 5-6 selectors. It's a complicated situation. The domestic structure has changed.”
Pakistan's poor outing
The bowlers, too, had a forgettable outing. Haris Rauf leaked 83 runs in 10 overs, and Pakistan’s reliance on part-time spinners backfired as they failed to contain Tom Latham (118*) and Will Young (107). Even Shaheen Afridi, usually Pakistan’s strike bowler, was taken apart in the death overs.
Adding to Pakistan’s woes, the home crowd turnout was underwhelming, with empty seats visible at the start. The loss not only dents their campaign but also piles pressure ahead of their clash against arch-rivals India.