Former Pakistan cricketers Shoaib Malik and Shoaib Akhtar are confident that Pakistan can still defeat India in their 2025 Champions Trophy encounter, despite the loss to New Zealand in their opening match.
On February 19, the hosts faced a 60-run defeat against New Zealand in Karachi, which wasn’t the ideal way to begin their tournament campaign. With a crucial clash against India scheduled for Sunday, February 23, it has become a must-win game for Pakistan.
Speaking on Shoaib Akhtar’s YouTube channel (via The Indian Express), Shoaib Malik expressed optimism, stating that Pakistan still has a strong chance to beat India in the upcoming match.
“I’m still hopeful that we have a good chance to beat India in our next match, and once that’s behind us, we can shift our focus to Bangladesh.”. I know morale and confidence are low at the moment, but the team’s spirit is still intact,” he stated.
“There’s potential within this team to beat India, and I truly believe that. But now, the onus is on the senior players to step up. The next match is a high-pressure one, and it’s essentially a do-or-die situation. Whoever performs well in this match against India will gain instant recognition as a hero. There’s a huge opportunity, even with the pressure—it’s a chance that must be seized,” Malik added.
“My advice is simple: instead of playing defensively, they should adopt an aggressive approach. I wish them the best of luck in their match against India,” he continued.
Pakistan’s chase of 321 runs against New Zealand ended at 260, as they were bowled out. Shoaib Akhtar criticized the performance, calling it very disappointing.
“Overall, the performance was disappointing. From a technical standpoint, there are many areas to improve. The planning process seems to have been a bit off. Looking ahead, they’ve put themselves in a tough position now,” he explained.
“If they’d approached it like a do-or-die match from the start, the outcome could’ve been different. Better fielding, more effort on the field—it could’ve all changed the game,” he concluded.