Pakistan’s struggles in the Champions Trophy 2025 continued as they suffered a comprehensive defeat against arch-rivals India in Dubai on Sunday. Their hopes of making it to the semifinals were officially dashed a day later when New Zealand triumphed over Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, ensuring Mohammad Rizwan’s team had no way forward in the tournament.
The campaign began on a sour note for Pakistan, with a crushing 60-run loss to New Zealand. Their woes only deepened when they were completely outplayed by India, falling short in every department. The string of poor performances has triggered widespread criticism from former cricketers, with legendary pacer Wasim Akram declaring the latest defeat as a breaking point for Pakistan cricket.
Expressing his frustration, Akram called for sweeping changes to revive the team’s dwindling fortunes in white-ball cricket. “Drastic steps (required). Enough is enough,” Akram stated on Sports Central. “We’ve been losing in white-ball cricket for a couple of years with the same players. The time has come to take a bold step which is to bring in young players. Bring fearless cricketers for white-ball cricket. If you have to make 5-6 changes, go ahead. You may lose for the next six months, keep backing them. Start building a team for the 2026 T20 World Cup right away.”
With Pakistan’s campaign coming to an early end, the focus now shifts to rebuilding and strategizing for the future. Calls for restructuring the squad are growing louder, and the management will have crucial decisions to make as they look ahead to upcoming tournaments.
