Relaxed Babar reveals Pakistan's mindset ahead of Champions Trophy defence
In what will be Pakistan's first ICC tournament played on home soil since 1996, there is a lot on the line for this team.
Pakistan are the defending Champions Trophy title holders, winning in 2017, and one thing that carries over from that success eight years ago is the presence of none other than Babar Azam.
He was instrumental, as a budding 22-year-old, with the cricketing world at his feet, when Pakistan reigned supreme in the UK. And now, as a 30-year-old and one of the top batters in the world according to the ICC's ODI Rankings, he will look to help his side do it all again.
Pakistan v India | Match Highlights | 2017 Champions Trophy Final
'As a player, I am very excited, and all the fans are excited,' Babar said.
'A lot has changed since the Champions Trophy was held in 2017. We have new players coming, we only have three or four players who were part of that winning team. But the belief, confidence and execution are the same.'
As Babar points out, a lot has changed.
Pakistan have recently faced a period of challenging coaching change, off the back of group stage elimination in the last two ICC tournaments, most recently the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 that included a notable loss to the USA.
USA stun Pakistan in a dramatic Super Over finale in Dallas at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024.
But the star batter is refusing to accept that the instability and adversity this team has faced will be used as any kind of excuse during the Champions Trophy.
'There is no pressure of anything. What has happened in the past is beyond us. We have discussed mistakes we have made and we have worked on them," he said.
'When you have responsibility as a senior player in any team and the team relies on you and has belief in you, then I take it in a positive way."
Shastri, Ponting preview the epic ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 | The ICC Review
Pakistan plan on making the most of their local knowledge, taking on New Zealand in Karachi in the tournament opener, and finishing their group stage phase against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi.
Wedged in between those group games is a mega showdown with India in Dubai on February 23.
'When you play at home you get that edge as you know the conditions,' he said.
'You have a knowledge of how the pitch will behave, both in the first and second (innings), but still you have to play good cricket because all other teams are among the best. It means a lot to be hosting the competition.' ICC Champions Trophy, 2025 Babar Azam 10/15/1994 News
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
5 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Only the best should showcase cricket in Olympics return at LA 2028
Cricket will return to the Olympics after 128 years at the 2028 Games and the popular view is only the best teams should showcase the game in Los Angeles, even if it means leaving out hosts the United States. Both the men's and women's competitions will be a six-team contest in the 20-overs format when cricket is played in the Olympics for the first time since 1900. The International Cricket Council is yet to announce the qualification format but is likely to pick the top six teams in the official rankings at a cut-off date. The US rank 17th in the men's list and 24th in the women's, which make their position untenable in the cricket competitions of their home Olympics. "I'd love an associate member to get in there but let's be realistic," Sumod Damodar, who represents associate members like the U.S. in the ICC Chief Executives' Committee, told Reuters. "Should the US get an automatic place? I'll say let's put the best that we can on show. "We're coming back into the Olympics after 128 years. We need to make that impressions so that people will say, 'Okay, we don't want them to go back and beg 'please include us' before every Olympics'. "Like track and field, we need to become a regular Olympic fixture. We need to show them that this product is worth it." With Brisbane hosting the 2032 Olympics and India bidding for the 2036 Games, Botswana cricket chief Damodar hoped cricket will feature in the next three Olympics and beyond. "We need to send the best six teams to showcase our game from the perspective of what it has in store for us, for the public, and the spectators in the future Olympic Games," he said. Damodar added the ICC should announce a cut-off date sometime next year giving all members enough time to improve their rankings. USA Cricket did not reply to a Reuters email seeking its view but Sanjay Govil, who owns the Washington Freedom franchise in the Major League Cricket (MLC) in the US, also said only the best should represent cricket at Los Angeles. "It should be based on merit, because we also want to make sure that it's competitive, right?" Govil told Reuters.
Khaleej Times
7 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
RCB to be sold? Indian politician refutes rumours of buying IPL team
Rumours swirled around the potential sale of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have stirred excitement and speculation in cricket and business circles alike. However, both the team's parent company, Diageo India, and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar have categorically dismissed the claims. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, on Thursday, refuted rumours that he had bought the RCB franchise, saying that he is not a mad man. Speaking to ANI, Shivakumar said that he had received offers to join the management team, but he doesn't have the time for this. "I am not a mad man. I've been a member of the Karnataka Cricket Association since my younger days, that's all. I don't have time, though I had offers to be part of the management... Why do I need RCB? I don't even drink Royal Challenge," the Karnataka DyCM said. On June 10, Diageo India, the Indian arm of global beverage giant Diageo Plc, issued an official clarification to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), addressing recent media reports. Company secretary Mital Sanghvi stated, "The company would like to clarify that the aforesaid media reports are speculative in nature and it is not pursuing any such discussion." Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. On June 4, the stampede that occurred during celebrations outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Indian Premier League (IPL) victory celebrations claimed 11 lives. Following the Bengaluru stampede, the Karnataka government suspended top police officials at the Cubbon Park Police Station on June 5 and formed a one-man commission under a retired High Court Judge to probe the incident. Earlier in the day, Siddaramaiah dismissed the BJP's demand for his resignation over the Bengaluru stampede, accusing the party of "doing politics in everything." Chief Minister Siddaramaiah questioned why the BJP had not demanded the resignation of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath when a stampede occurred during the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj earlier this year. "40-50 people died in a stampede at Kumbh Mela. Did they demand the chief minister's resignation then? A bridge collapsed on the day of the inauguration, and 140 people died. Did they demand the Prime Minister's resignation then?" Siddaramaiah asked while talking to reporters here. Earlier today, the Karnataka High Court reserved its order on a petition filed by RCB's marketing head, Nikhil Sosale, seeking interim relief on the grounds that his arrest in alleged connection with the Bengaluru stampede was illegal. The High Court reserved the order for June 12 at 2:30 pm.
Gulf Today
14 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Australia's champion pedigree face SA's gritty ambition in WTC final
When it comes to major cricket finals, Australia is in a league of its own. Only Australia have won all four men's global trophies. It is hard to beat in finals, having won 10 of 13 across the 50-over World Cup, 20-over World Cup, Champions Trophy, and World Test Championship (WTC). And let's not get started on the women's team, which is even more dominant. The men go for world title No. 11 from Wednesday in the WTC final against South Africa at neutral Lord's. That ruthless focus Australia bring on the biggest stages is in marked contrast to South Africa, a perennial underachiever. The Proteas have won just one major title, the Champions Trophy in 1998, when most of the current Proteas were toddlers. An experienced squad - average age 29 1/2 - compensates with a bond that can't be underestimated, a determination to have each other's backs. That showed often in the 2023-25 WTC cycle as the Proteas, who used 30 players, more than any other team, found a run-scorer or wicket-taker at just the right time. They won their last seven Tests and were first to qualify for the final. 'We haven't been super dominant in our performances,' South Africa captain Temba Bavuma said when the team qualified in December. 'We definitely haven't been clinical or ruthless when the opportunity or the situation is called upon. But I think what we've done is that we've found ways to make sure that the result is on our side.' Australia already were a veteran team when they won the 2023 final by crushing India by 209 runs at the Oval. Ten of that 11 are back. Only David Warner is missing, retired from Tests. Medium-pace bowler Josh Hazlewood was injured and didn't play, but he's expected to replace one of the 2023 stars, Scott Boland. Hazlewood overcame a shoulder injury to spearhead Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a first Indian Premier League title last week with 22 wickets in 12 innings. Warner's permanent replacement at opener still hasn't been settled. Sam Konstas made an audacious debut at age 19 in December against India, but Travis Head was preferred in Sri Lanka in February. They seem to be the main candidates. Marnus Labuschagne has opened only once since 2016, and his form has dropped to the point of concern. He averaged just 28.33 in the WTC cycle and attempts last month to spark form at Glamorgan in the second tier of the English County Championship fell flat. In the same division, allrounder Cameron Green scored three hundreds for Gloucestershire in a comeback from lower spine surgery which sidelined him for six months. But he's not ready to bowl. It may not matter. Australia have four of their top 10 all-time leading wicket-takers in Nathan Lyon (553, third), Mitchell Starc (382, fourth), captain Pat Cummins (294, eighth), and Hazlewood (279, 10th). Star batter Steve Smith turned 36 last week and hasn't played in the top flight since March, just like Konstas, opener Usman Khawaja, Lyon, Boland, and wicketkeeper Alex Carey. But they're entrusted with the knowhow to switch on when it counts. Smith has four hundreds in his last five Tests, and passed 10,000 career runs, almost as many as the South Africans. At Lord's he averages 58. 'At Lord's, there's always sort of something going on,' he said on Monday. 'There's always something going off for the bowlers, particularly if the clouds roll in. And then when the clouds are out, it can be really nice to bat. It's a cool game playing here in England. I enjoy the sort of intricacies of what you need to do at certain periods. Whether you need to tighten things up or get a bit more aggressive. It should be a fun week.' Whoever opens with Khawaja will likely immediately face fearsome South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada. Khawaja will have his hands full. He's fallen to Rabada five times in 10 matches. Rabada, with 327 wickets, is three away from tying Allan Donald for fourth place on South Africa's all-time list. Rabada will have the company of left-armer Marco Jansen, who took 29 wickets in six matches in the cycle. The third seamer will be either Lungi Ngidi, who was one of eight South Africans at the IPL, or Dane Paterson, who has been nipping the ball around for Middlesex in county division two. South Africa have confirmed Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton as the openers and captain Bavuma at No. 4. They played in the IPL, too. Middle-order batter David Bedingham, South Africa's leading scorer in the cycle, proved in a warmup game against Zimbabwe that he's recovered from a broken toe sustained in April. Associated Press
