Sarfaraz Ahmed has called on the Pakistan cricket team to remain calm and heedless of outside pressure as they build up towards a high-profile showdown with India in the 2025 Champions Trophy later this month. The highly awaited tournament, back after a gap of eight years, has India and Pakistan both in the same group, paving the way for another nail-biting showdown between the arch-rivals.
Reminding us of Pakistan’s historic 2017 Champions Trophy victory, Sarfaraz revealed how his side bounced back from a humiliating group-stage loss to India. At the time, Pakistan, led by him, had a thrashing in their first match but dramatically turned their tournament around to beat the same team in the final at The Oval.
“After that first loss, we had a very important team meeting in which our senior players—Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez—sounded off. Their experience made us recast our mindset,” Sarfaraz Ahmed penned in his ICC column. “That was a turning point. We changed key things, and suddenly belief was back.”
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The turnaround was quick. Pakistan edged past Sri Lanka in a nervous run chase and breezed past South Africa to advance to the semifinals, where they dominated England. Sarfaraz attributed the victory to the bowlers, who came good at the correct time.
“When we played England in the semis, our bowling was top-notch,” he penned. “And by the time we were in the final, I knew our confidence levels were at their highest. My message to the boys was: remain calm, don’t think of the result, just leave everything on the field.”
That counsel worked phenomenally well. In the deciding match, Fakhar Zaman’s masterly hundred propelled Pakistan to 338/4. Mohammad Amir later performed a fairy tale spell as the left-arm seamer decimated India’s first string and laid the stage for a 180-run demolition job.
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“We knew we had already beaten some of the great teams, so India was another challenge. I said to the players to believe in their ability and enjoy the moment,” Sarfaraz reminisced.
The victory was unfathomable. “When the last wicket was taken, I was stationed at gully. I picked the catch and without even realizing, just sprinted. I saw Shoaib Malik, jumped into his arms, hugged him. Everyone in the team joined in on the celebration. That will always remain with me,” he finalized.
