'They are in one place, they are in one hotel, there is no travel, they are in one dressing room. They know the pitch. When they selected they probably knew what Dubai was going to be like.'
The full implications of the India's refusal to play Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan were laid bare on Sunday as Australia and South Africa waited to find out whether they will play their semi-finals in Lahore or Dubai this week.
"The ICC (International Cricket Council) Champions Trophy 2025 is a culmination of those efforts," PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told Reuters.
'Unfortunately, we tend to crack under pressure and lose close matches as we have seen in recent games.'
Pakistan's star batter Babar Azam was conspicuous by his absence from the team's training and there was no clarity on his availability for the Champions Trophy clash against India in Dubai on Sunday, even as the country's cricket board chief Mohsin Naqvi urged the side to win "at any cost".
He is the first Indian to achieve the feat of scoring a century in all three formats in international cricket at a single venue.
The opening ceremony of the Champions Trophy will be held either on February 16 or 17 and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is confident that India captain Rohit Sharma will be in attendance at the event.
The cricket stadium in Lahore was named after Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 1974.
Seamers Ben Sears, Nathan Smith and Will O'Rourke will play their first global tournament at the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates next month after being named in the New Zealand squad on Sunday.
Bari said he is delighted to see the ICC Champions Trophy being held in Pakistan now and multiple teams landing in the country.
'As far as my comeback (from injury) is concerned, I will hopefully return to competitive cricket in a month'
'Pakistan's only concern has been while they were on the FATF watch list was to distance their State institutions and organs from any direct connection with the actual execution of militancy inside Kashmir.'
Allowing India to play all their matches in Dubai robbed Pakistan of the honour of hosting the final and disrupted the schedule of the knockout matches.
India vice-captain Shubman Gill dethroned Pakistan's Babar Azam from the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI Rankings for batters on the back of his strong showing against England in the recent home series.
South African captain Temba Bavuma has said that the ICC Champions Trophy is a bigger challenge than the 50-over World Cup because the lesser number of matches makes it tough for teams to make a comeback.
Afghanistan may be faced with some off-field distractions in Pakistan with Group B rivals England and South Africa being urged to boycott their matches.
We have objection to the name Karachi. Our jawan (died) on Bhai Dooj. Pakistan is a country of terrorists, Nitin Nandgaonkar said.
The Afghanistan team has chalked out plans for the entire Australian side and is not just focused on its bete noire Glenn Maxwell, said skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi on the eve of their must-win Champions Trophy match.
'Pakistan can beat any team on any given day'
Pakistan and Bangladesh will face off in a dead rubber match in the Champions Trophy on Thursday, both teams looking to salvage some pride after disappointing tournament performances. Both teams have suffered heavy defeats to New Zealand.
The United States has temporarily suspended foreign assistance to Pakistan for re-evaluation following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump, according to a media report on Tuesday.
Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, Aga Khan IV, the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, passed away in Lisbon at the age of 88 on Tuesday, February 4, 2025.
Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes Virat Kohli needs to relax and not overthink his form ahead of India's crucial Champions Trophy clash against Pakistan.
As the battle for semi-final berths intensifies in Group B, top-ranked South Africa will aim to assert their dominance and secure a spot in the final four when they face a struggling England in a high-stakes Champions Trophy clash in Karachi on Saturday.
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting believes South Africa has a slight edge over New Zealand in their Champions Trophy semifinal clash.
These transfers can be seen as part of a continuing process on General Asim Munir's part to keep his senior generals happy, notes Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
The England Cricket Board has refrained from issuing NOCs to all-format players to play in the Pakistan Super League
The Champions Trophy tour kicked off in Islamabad on Saturday before it touched down in Taxila and Khanpur on Sunday.
'I think any experience in the sub-continent is valuable.'
'The India-Pakistan clash is not about match-winners alone; it's about playing in the moment, adapting to the situation, and not letting expectations overwhelm you.'
'We were scared about what would happen if these terrorists managed to enter the building.'
Raj Manchanda was the undisputed national champion from 1977 to 1982 and won an unprecedented 11 titles for the Services.
Sarfaraz recalled how the side regrouped under the guidance of senior players like Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez, something he feels that the present Pakistan side will need too.
This comes in the wake of the killing of three Chinese nationals and a Pakistani van driver who lost their lives in a car explosion inside the premises of the Karachi University of Pakistan on April 26.
Debutants Afghanistan will aim to continue their impressive rise in white-ball cricket, while South Africa will once again attempt to shed the 'chokers' tag when the two sides kick-off their Champions Trophy campaign in Karachi on Friday.
'It was the hostility of the Yunus regime that made India careful and wary of dealing with them.' 'They gradually backed off and lowered the noise, but the damage was done.' 'Their true colours had been exposed.'
With an aggressive mindset and intense training sessions, India looks set to make a powerful statement when they step onto the field, observes K R Nayar, the veteran cricket writer, from Dubai.
Australia declared their first innings on 556 for nine and then skittled out Pakistan for 148 to seize control of the second Test in Karachi on Monday.
The ICC Board will now begin the process to identify Allardice's successor.
Jasprit Bumrah, who is down with swelling in his back, is expected to make a full recovery by the first week of March.
