Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting said that Champions Trophy 2025 is the stage when Babar Azam returned to form, especially because it’s being hosted by Pakistan as well. He also gave the logic to open with Babar, claiming that it gives him a lot more time to put up big scores as well.

Speaking on the latest episode of the ICC Review, Ponting said (via Geo TV), “I think at the moment, Pakistan are trying everything they can to get Babar back into some form. And they’re moving him, you know, left him out of a couple of games, moved him up and down the order, but not so much down the order. I think opening the batting to give him more time to settle against the new ball and put up big scores. Maybe it’s this tournament… maybe it’s a really big tournament at home in Pakistan that gets him back at the front of everyone’s minds when you’re talking about the best players in the world.”

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Babar, who has been in poor form in the ODI, said that the hosts are confident of their execution as well.

“As a player, I am very excited, and all the fans are excited. 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. 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 concluded.