Pakistan’s Champions Trophy Nightmare: A Tournament to Forget!

The return of Pakistan to the hosting of an ICC event after nearly three decades came to a disappointing end at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The team was unable to win a single game, creating a record low as the first host nation in 23 years to finish the tournament with no wins.

A Disheartening Campaign

The tournament got off to a promising start, but Pakistan's performance soon faltered. In the first match, they lost by 60 runs to New Zealand. That was followed by a six-wicket defeat against arch-rivals India, where in spite of great battling from Saud Shakeel and skipper Mohammad Rizwan, the team was unable to achieve a respectable score.

Rain Ruins Final Match

Pakistan's previous match against Bangladesh was also rain washed. As both teams received one point each, Pakistan finished the tournament without a single win.

Missed Opportunities and Costly Mistakes

A number of reasons led to Pakistan's dismal performance:

• Batting Collapse: The top order didn't perform in crucial matches, putting too much pressure on the lower order.
• Bowling Struggles: Despite having world-class pacers, Pakistan couldn't limit opposition teams effectively.
• Injuries and Team Selection Problems: The key players were either injured or out of shape, and poor selection decisions further compromised the team.

Pakistan's Points Table – ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Team	Played	Wins	Losses	No Result	Points	Net Run Rate	Status
Pakistan	3	0	2	1	1	-1.087	ELIMINATED

Captain's Reaction

Mohammad Rizwan was very disappointed. He mentioned injuries to key players as a big blow. Rizwan also recognized the expectations of the fans. He demanded introspection before their New Zealand tour.

Fans and Government Upset

The fans were not pleased with the poor performance of the team. Even Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif noticed. It is reported that the matter might be raised in parliament.