Pakistan's early exit from the Champions Trophy 2025 has led to some serious questions about team selection and performance, but interim head coach Aaqib Javed is standing firm behind his players. At a press conference in Rawalpindi, Javed pointed out that the team was selected based on merit, even if the outcomes weren't what everyone hoped for.

"We picked the best team we could, but the results just haven't lived up to expectations—that's the truth," Javed acknowledged.

Interestingly, reports from Pakistan's Express Tribune suggest that Javed and captain Mohammad Rizwan had some disagreements over the lineup. Rizwan was pushing for Khushdil Shah to be included, but Javed chose Faheem Ashraf instead. In the end, Shah did make the squad.

During the press conference, Javed stressed that every player earned their spot through their performances. When asked about Pakistan's heavy reliance on Babar Azam, he raised a thought-provoking question: "Right now, besides Babar Azam, who else do we have?"

Pakistan's campaign took a significant blow with a six-wicket loss to India, highlighting their struggle to perform under pressure. Javed reflected on the match, noting that the team needed to set a more competitive target to challenge their rivals.

"Without a solid total, our bowlers have to go all out," he said, suggesting that a score closer to 300 could have put India in a tougher spot.

Pakistan feels the impact of key absences

Javed mentioned that missing some key players really impacted the team, especially in crucial matches. “We definitely felt the absence of Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman. Plus, Sufiyan Muqeem and Irfan Niazi didn’t have much ODI experience,” he noted.

He also emphasized that the typical approach in one-day internationals is to go with seven batsmen and four bowlers. Now that Pakistan is out of the tournament, they’ll wrap things up with a final game against Bangladesh at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Thursday.

Even though the tournament didn’t go as they hoped, Javed assured that the team is still dedicated to putting in their best effort. “The players are really disappointed with how they performed. The nation should know that the team is giving it their all,” he said.

Read Also: PAK vs BAN Live Streaming: Catch the Champions Trophy 2025 Match on TV and Online

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