Pakistan’s exit from their home tournament is primarily attributed to the inexperience of their players, as highlighted by white-ball head coach Aaqib Javed. Despite having one more match against Bangladesh, the team’s lack of experienced personnel was evident, especially in comparison to India’s seasoned squad. Pakistan’s core players—Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, and others—have significantly fewer matches under their belts than their Indian counterparts. The absence of key players, such as Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub, exacerbated this issue. Consequently, the reliance on the standout players did not yield match-winning performances, intensifying criticism of the team’s structure and selection.
Of course, Pakistan still has one more match to play, against Bangladesh, who are also out of the semi-final race in the Champions Trophy. That match in Rawalpindi on Thursday is further jeopardized by potential rain and a soaked outfield, given the wet conditions in the city this week.
Javed elaborated on various selection permutations that might have enhanced the team’s performance in the tournament. However, still feeling the sting from their loss to India on Sunday, he emphasized that India’s lineup boasted significantly more experience than Pakistan’s.
“When Pakistan and India play, it transcends cricket—it’s about experience,” Javed stated. “This Indian team has amassed nearly 1500 games together, while Pakistan lags behind with fewer than 400 games. Babar Azam is the only player who has participated in over 100 games; Mohammad Rizwan has 88 ODIs, and Shaheen Afridi has 64.”
“The remaining players have fewer than 30 matches under their belts. Tayyab Tahir has only participated in eight games, while Imam-ul-Haq (73 games) was making a return to the squad. Ultimately, when things don’t align, and you’re discussing more than just the game itself, experience counts. There’s no denying that.”
“Likewise, we had to bring in Khushdil Shah because Saim was unfit. The fact is, in one-day cricket, you can’t rely on just five bowlers. It’s essential to find a mix of seven batsmen and four bowlers.”
“When Saim was available, he contributed at the top of the order and would bowl five to seven overs. In his absence—as we discovered through research—even considering Khushdil Shah’s impressive performances over the past year and a half, his wicket-taking ability simply doesn’t compare. It wasn’t a close decision at all. Nonetheless, our role in the selection committee was to provide the best possible replacement.”
With these players unavailable, it became imperative for the key five—Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen—to rise to the occasion, Javed remarked. Unfortunately, the much-needed match-winning performances were absent.
These players have faced intense scrutiny in Pakistan following the team’s elimination.
“A layperson who isn’t part of the team or its management seeks names and reasons for the team’s losses,” Javed explained. “Regarding Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen, Naseem, and Haris, our aim was to create the most optimal XI or 15. It’s undeniable that Shaheen, Naseem, and Haris are outstanding bowlers. When you compare them to other teams’ bowling attacks, they are among the best fast-bowling options available.
“And with Babar—besides him, what alternatives do we have? We often hear that when a team loses, the solution is to change its composition. However, this is already the most inexperienced team we have.”
Andrew Fidel Fernando is a senior writer at ESPNcricinfo. @afidelf