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Pakistan’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign went from bad to worse after their humiliating defeat against India in Dubai on Sunday (February 23). Among the many criticisms being directed at the team, former spinner Danish Kaneria has taken direct aim at Babar Azam, questioning his performances against big teams and accusing him of only scoring runs against weaker opponents.
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“Babar Only Scores Against Zimbabwe” – Kaneria’s Harsh Criticism
Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam once again failed to deliver in a crucial game, managing just 23 off 26 balls before edging one behind to KL Rahul off Hardik Pandya’s bowling. With this, his ODI record against India now stands at 241 runs from 8 innings at an average of 30.12, with just one half-century to his name.
Speaking to ANI, Kaneria did not hold back in his criticism of Babar, claiming that the star batter only performs against weaker opposition like Zimbabwe and lacks intent against top-tier teams.
“Babar has not scored runs for so long. But when he does, it is against Zimbabwe or against smaller teams. If he scores against big teams, it’s usually without any intent,” Kaneria remarked.
Babar’s form in the Champions Trophy 2025 has been far from convincing. In Pakistan’s opening match against New Zealand, he played a slow-paced 64 off 90 balls while chasing 321, which put immense pressure on the middle order. His lack of fluency and inability to accelerate in crunch games has been a major talking point throughout the tournament.
“Pakistan’s Batting Lacks Depth” – Kaneria Questions Rizwan & Middle Order
Apart from Babar, Kaneria also took aim at Pakistan’s struggling middle order, particularly Mohammad Rizwan, who has failed to make an impact in the tournament. He pointed out the lack of batting depth and poor squad selection as key reasons behind Pakistan’s early elimination.
“There is no depth in the batting. Salman Agha and Khushdil Shah make some contributions sometimes. Saud Shakeel is a technically correct batter. But Rizwan’s bat seems to have stopped working. When the Champions Trophy squad was announced, one could see it getting eliminated pretty soon,” Kaneria added.
Pakistan Knocked Out After New Zealand’s Victory
Pakistan’s semi-final hopes were dashed on Monday (February 24) when New Zealand defeated Bangladesh by five wickets in Rawalpindi, officially eliminating the Men in Green from the tournament.
With two losses in two matches, Pakistan’s campaign has been a disaster, leading to growing frustration among fans and experts alike. Many in the Pakistan cricket fraternity have called for a major overhaul in the team’s approach, squad selection, and leadership.
What’s Next for Pakistan?
Pakistan will play Bangladesh in their final Group A match on Thursday (February 27) in Rawalpindi. However, the game is now a mere formality, with both teams already out of contention for the knockout stage.
With Pakistan’s Champions Trophy title defense ending in disappointment, the focus will now shift to rebuilding the squad ahead of the 2025-26 season. Will the PCB take drastic steps, or will things remain unchanged? Only time will tell.
