Pakistan's Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman during the ICC Champions Trophy opening match against New Zealand in National Stadium, Karachi, Pakistan, February 19, 2025. — Reuters
In the first match of the ICC Champions Trophy at National Stadium Karachi, Team Pakistan, under the captaincy of Babar Azam, faced a crushing defeat at the hands of New Zealand.
The match began with high spirits, as Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first. Openers Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman took to the field, but their batting performance was lackluster, failing to put up a strong foundation for the rest of the team.
The top-order batsmen struggled to score, with Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman getting out early. The middle order also failed to capitalize on the scoring opportunities, leading to a dismal total.
New Zealand's bowlers took full advantage of Pakistan's weak batting performance, restricting them to a low total. The Kiwi bowlers were on fire, taking wickets at regular intervals and never allowing the Pakistani batsmen to settle.
When New Zealand came out to bat, they chased down the target with ease, thanks to a brilliant performance by their top-order batsmen. The Pakistani bowlers struggled to take wickets, and the fielding was also sloppy, with several dropped catches and misfields.
The defeat was a shocking upset for Pakistan, who were considered one of the favorites to win the tournament. The team's lack of planning and poor performance on the field were evident, and the captaincy of Babar Azam was called into question.
The loss has raised concerns about Pakistan's chances in the tournament, and the team will need to regroup and come up with a new strategy if they want to make it to the finals. The next match for Pakistan will be a must-win, and the team will need to put up a much better performance if they want to stay in the competition.
Fans were left disappointed and frustrated with the team's performance, and there were calls for changes to be made to the team and the coaching staff. The Pakistan Cricket Board will need to take a hard look at the team's performance and make some tough decisions if they want to turn things around.
The ICC Champions Trophy is one of the most prestigious tournaments in international cricket, and Pakistan's defeat in the opening match has made their road to the finals much tougher. The team will need to bounce back from this defeat and put up a much better performance in their next match if they want to keep their hopes alive.