KARACHI: Pride, History, Glory, Legacy. The words emblazoned across the National Bank Stadium in the ICC Champions Trophy branding reflect all that’s on the line when the tournament gets its long-awaited liftoff on Wednesday. They were also the recurrent themes of Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan’s news conference on Tuesday, ahead of the opener against New Zealand.
There is, of course, a lot at stake here. The Champions Trophy is the first tournament on Pakistan soil since the country co-hosted the 1996 One-day International World Cup. The hosts go in as defending champions; the images of their stunning triumph in the tournament’s previous iteration in 2017 on prominent display in the press conference room at the Karachi venue.
The team’s recent form, though, has been patchy; a cause for concern. For any tournament across any sport, strong performances by the host nation can lift up the mood, making the euphoria long-lasting. Pakistan are looking for an uplift in fortunes to provide that, their first test coming against a side that have beaten them in their last two encounters; both of them coming during last week’s tri-nation series that was a test event for the Champions Trophy.
Rizwan, though, was cool, calm and collected on Tuesday; shades on, a splash of sunscreen over his face ahead of the team’s training session under the blazing spring — almost summer — sun as he walked into a packed room to field all sorts of questions.
The first was about pride. “A tournament is coming to Pakistan after a long, long time … and it should be celebrated,” he said. “There’s been a lot of work done to have the tournament here, the renovations of the stadium were completed in a record time.”
Rizwan also reflected on the turbulent times for Pakistan cricket, when the country became a no-go area for international teams following the attack on the Sri Lankan team in 2009. “Those were difficult times … but we did get results. We achieved the number one Test ranking, we won the Champions Trophy.”
That history hangs heavy on this current side. Pakistan looked more out than in and stormed to the title, thumping India in the final. Rizwan’s men face a tall order in emulating that side.
“We will try to do our best,” Rizwan said. “There should be no doubt about our ability … it’s just that at some stages [in our last few matches] we have shown some weaknesses that the other team has exploited to beat us.”
At the training session, Rizwan and head coach Aaqib Javed took a long, hard look at the pitch that had a bit of grass on it. Earlier, he backed Babar Azam to retain his opening slot while saying pacer Haris Rauf was back to full fitness.
Pakistan struggled in Haris’ absence during the tri-nation series, the rest of the pace attack unable to provide the zip and the guile the right-armer provides. New Zealand thrashed Pakistan to all parts once Haris went off injured in the tri-series opener. They then coasted to their target while chasing in the final.
“We have to be brave in our quest for glory,” said Rizwan, who has been part of the Pakistan side that lost in the semi-finals and final of the 2021 and 2022 Twenty20 World Cups. That, he wants to make sure isn’t part of his legacy. “We’ve lost at the very end, it’s just that one percent that we’ve not been able to complete … we keep learning.”
FAMILIAR FOES
New Zealand have already learnt quite a lot about Pakistan. They played ODI series in Pakistan in both 2022 and 2023 along with the recent tri-series. That familiarity, batter Tom Latham believes, will help them on Wednesday.
“We’ll be playing under pressure tomorrow, with a full crowd backing Pakistan,” Latham told reporters. “It’s going to be a great occasion; playing the host nation in the opening match. But if you’re familiar with the conditions, it always helps.
“We’ve played in Pakistan in the last couple of years and both teams have information about each other. They always have been great duels and it’s going to be the same tomorrow. We’re looking forward to the challenge and draw on the experience [we gained] from the tri-series.”
Latham anchored New Zealand’s chase in the tri-series final and he’s hoping New Zealand can carry their recent momentum to the tournament.
“Obviously, it’s always nice to win,” he said. “We’re fortunate everyone in the squad has had some time with the ball or bat. Nice that we’ve been playing well through the tri-series. We were put under pressure in all three games and we’ve obviously managed to overcome that and come out on the right side which will hold us in good stead.”
The last time New Zealand came across Pakistan in an ICC tournament, the result didn’t go their way. Fakhar Zaman’s blitz took Pakistan to victory in the 2023 ODI World Cup in a rain-curtailed clash. Pakistan will be hoping for something similar on Wednesday — although Rizwan stressed he’s happier when there’s a team effort rather than a standout performer when Pakistan win. “As a captain, I’m happy when a win comes after the whole team performs,” he said. But of late, it is individual performances that are winning us games.“
The fans who will pack the National Stadium on Wednesday, though, will not care how Pakistan win. They, and the rest of the nation, will be fixated on finding a new match-winning hero to give them a reason to cheer.
Squads:
PAKISTAN: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan.
NEW ZEALAND: Mitchell Santner (captain), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will ORourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Jacob Duffy, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young.
