We were outplayed, admits Rizwan

Pakistan white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan has admitted that fielding lapses and mistakes cost them the game against India in the ICC Champions Trophy on Sunday.

Pakistan are now on the verge of early Champions Trophy exit following a six-wicket defeat against India at Dubai International Stadium.

Sharing his thoughts on the game, Rizwan said that Pakistan failed to capitalise on the toss advantage and credited India’s bowlers for their disciplined performance.

“We won the toss, but we didn’t get the benefit of it. Their bowlers bowled very well. Saud Shakeel and I wanted to take the game deep, but our shot selection let us down. They put us under pressure,” Rizwan stated.

He admitted Pakistan’s shortcomings in all departments, particularly in fielding, which proved costly.

“Whenever you lose, it means you didn’t perform well in all departments. We wanted to squeeze them, but we couldn’t. Kohli and Gill batted very well and took the game away from us. We need to improve in our fielding as we made a lot of mistakes,” he added.

‘Brainless management’

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhter lashed out at the management following a six wicket defeat against arch-rivals India in the eight-team tournament.

He expressed his disappointment in a video posted on ‘X,’ stating that the team lacks clarity and strategic planning.

“I am not disappointed because I already knew what was going to happen when you don’t select a fifth bowler. The world is playing with six bowlers, and you can’t even select five. You take two all-rounders with you—I don’t know what you’re thinking,” Akhtar said.

The former pacer did not hold back in his criticism of Pakistan’s team management, blaming them for flawed selection and tactical approach.

“It’s just a brainless and cruel management, and I am really disappointed. What can we even say about the players? The management is like this, so the players are the same. They have no clue what they are supposed to do,” he said.

“Intent is one thing, but they don’t even understand their skillset. In fact, they don’t even have a skillset. Do you think they will play lofted shots like Virat or Shubman? Really disappointing. Neither do they understand anything, nor does the management. They just went there to play,” he added.

While Pakistan struggled, Indian star batter Virat Kohli played a match-winning knock, scoring an unbeaten century to guide his side to victory.

“Hats off to Virat Kohli—he is a superstar, a white-ball run chaser, a modern-day great. There is no doubt about it. And I am really happy for him. He is an honest guy. He has also completed 14,000 runs. This guy has achieved it all, and he deserves all the praise,” Akhtar lauded.

Points table

India secured a dominating win over Pakistan in the Champions Trophy on Sunday at Dubai Cricket Stadium in UAE. This win puts them at the first position in the points table with four points. Their next challenge will be against New Zealand at the same venue on Sunday, March 2.

Pakistan, on the other hand, will aim for their first points when they face Bangladesh on Thursday, 27 February at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Pakistan. Group A’s next match is set for tomorrow Monday, February 24, between New Zealand and Bangladesh in Rawalpindi.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals, with the winners of each semi-final facing each other in the final, which will be held at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on March 9.

Final will move to Dubai if India qualifies for it.