Pakistan faces significant stakes in their forthcoming match against their long-standing rival India in the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled for Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium. Following a defeat in their opening match against New Zealand, Pakistan finds itself in a precarious position, necessitating a victory over India to maintain control over their destiny in the tournament.

In anticipation of this high-profile encounter, former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has expressed critical views regarding the current state of the team and the economic challenges facing the nation.

The criticism directed at Pakistan has intensified following their lacklustre performance with the bat against New Zealand. Star batsman Babar Azam has been particularly scrutinized for his innings of 64 runs off 90 balls, while the team was chasing a target exceeding 320 runs.

On his YouTube channel, Basit Ali remarked, "If the match turns out to be one-sided, fans will refrain from breaking their televisions due to the high inflation in Pakistan. Now, discussions will be the only outlet for their frustrations."

Basit Ali further asserted that India is the clear favourite in this matchup. He suggested that if Mohammad Rizwan and his teammates manage to overcome Rohit Sharma's squad, it would be considered a significant upset.

“India is undoubtedly the favourite. In my view, if Pakistan succeeds in defeating India, it will be an upset given the current decline of our cricket, which is at an all-time low,” he stated.

'Car is running in third gear'

Basit Ali expressed his candid criticism regarding the squad selected by Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. The team will be without Fakhar Zaman, who sustained an injury during the match against New Zealand.

Imam-ul-Haq has been appointed as his replacement, and it remains to be seen whether he will be included in the playing eleven immediately or if Usman Khan will be given an opportunity.

“Who will bat at No. 3 is still uncertain. They may opt for Usman Khan to open alongside Imam, moving Babar Azam to the No. 3 position,” he remarked.

“With Fakhar Zaman absent, Pakistan’s batting order from positions one to five appears quite similar. If the team is operating in third gear, it will remain in that mode and will not be able to accelerate in the final five or ten overs. Pakistan must approach the game with both skill and strategy, rather than mere bravado,” he continued.

Basit also criticized the financial resources allocated by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for stadium renovations, suggesting that the emphasis should have been on developing a more robust squad with greater depth.

“The funds spent on constructing the stadiums could have been utilized to assemble a competent team for half that amount. However, building a team requires strategic thinking. What is your vision? How do you assess a player's potential? These considerations are crucial,” Basit Ali concluded.

Read Also: Ganguly Sounds Alarm for Pakistan: What Rizwan & Babar Must Do to Stay in Champions Trophy

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