Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman has an old connection with the Champions Trophy. The left-hander made a name for himself in international cricket in the 2017 edition of this tournament when he helped Pakistan win a historic title.
Eight years later, Zaman is back in the mix for the Champions Trophy, but his place in the squad is yet to be confirmed. The Champions Trophy 2025 faced many controversies which were mainly based on India's tour of Pakistan.
With the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirming that India will not travel to Pakistan for the tour, Fakhar Zaman is disappointed but also excited to face them in Dubai.
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Fakhar Zaman talks about India not going to travel to Pakistan
While talking to Sports Tak, Fakhar Zaman was asked about India's refusal to visit Pakistan for Champions Trophy 2025. He claimed that the Indian team would have received an even grander welcome than the one Pakistan received when they traveled to India for the Cup 2023 ODI World Cup.
“If India had come to Pakistan, we would have given them an even greater welcome and hospitality, but they are not coming. It is good but we are excited to play against them in Dubai,” said Fakhar.
Pakistan traveled to India for the 2023 ODI World Cup when they played most of their matches in Hyderabad. Among all the venues, Pakistan played only in Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata.
They had a disappointing tournament and finished fifth in the points table. They even lost to Afghanistan in what turned out to be a shocking result. As a result, the Men in Green did not qualify for the semi-finals.
We will miss playing in India – Fakhar Zaman
Speaking on the same platform, Fakhar Zaman admitted that he will miss playing on Indian soil as the team enjoyed a good run in the country during the World Cup 2023. He was also happy with the kind of support he received in India during the match. tournament.
“Yes, we will definitely miss (playing in India) as we had a lot of fun during our visit there for the ODI World Cup 2023. We were delighted with the kind of support and hospitality we got there” , Zaman added.
As per the latest agreement between ICC, BCCI and PCB, India and Pakistan will not be required to travel to each other's country for ICC events for the current cycle. While the other teams will play their matches in the host country, India and Pakistan will play their matches through a hybrid pattern in any other country.
Will Fakhar Zaman be selected in Pakistan's Champions Trophy squad?
India and Pakistan are the only two teams in the Champions Trophy that have not announced their final squads so far. Pakistan are believed to have submitted their preliminary squad but will whittle down the squad to 15 players by February 10.
Fakhar Zaman is set to be selected for the Champions Trophy despite not having played an ODI since the ODI World Cup 2023. Zaman was earlier dropped from Pakistan's ODI squad for the Australia tour after criticizing the PCB's decision to drop the Babar Azam.
Pakistan will open their campaign against New Zealand on February 19 in Karachi. The Men in Green will then face arch-rivals India in Dubai on February 23. They will face Bangladesh in their final group match on February 27 in Rawalpindi.