Champions Trophy: Wahab Riaz Confident Pakistan Can Recover, Avoid Mistakes Against India
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Synopsis
Former fast bowler Wahab Riaz is optimistic about Pakistan's chances against India in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. He believes they have the skills to recover from earlier mistakes against New Zealand and emphasizes the importance of adapting to match situations as they face their archrivals in a critical game.
Key Takeaways
- Wahab Riaz is confident that Pakistan can learn from their mistakes against New Zealand.
- A loss to India could eliminate Pakistan from semifinal contention.
- Riaz stresses the importance of adapting to match situations.
- Injuries have been a significant issue for the team.
- The Indian team has momentum after defeating Bangladesh.
New Delhi, Feb 22 (NationPress) Former fast bowler Wahab Riaz believes the Pakistani squad has the ability to make a strong comeback in their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 opener against India, following a few missed opportunities in their match against New Zealand earlier this week. Riaz emphasized that his country's players will not replicate the oversights they made in that match during the crucial showdown on Sunday, especially considering that a loss could eliminate them from semifinal contention.
“While being cautious (in the previous match) had its merits, it’s essential to adapt to the situation. With two new balls in play that can swing, wicket losses are possible. However, it’s crucial to measure the situation and construct an innings accordingly. A strong start in the first ten overs is vital for the middle order to build upon,” Riaz shared as an expert on JioHotstar, expressing confidence that the team has learned from their earlier mistakes.
He acknowledged that injuries and inconsistent performances have plagued the team for several years. “Our consistency has been lacking, and we've played fewer ODIs recently, focusing more on T20s. Injuries are an unavoidable reality; for instance, Fakhar Zaman faced health issues and suffered a side strain in the last match, while Saim Ayub was ruled out before the tournament due to injury. This definitely impacts team dynamics, but the inclusion of Imam-ul-Haq and Kamran Ghulam should be helpful. It remains to be seen how the management utilizes them,” he added.
The Indian team, captained by Rohit Sharma, secured a six-wicket victory against Bangladesh in their opener on Wednesday and aims to maintain their winning streak against Pakistan on Sunday to secure a spot in the semifinals.
