Islamabad [Pakistan], February 26: Following Pakistan’s early exit from the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025, former Pakistan Prime Minister and World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan has voiced his disappointment, warning that cricket in the country will be “destroyed” if “favourites” are placed in decision-making positions.
Pakistan, which was hosting an ICC tournament for the first time in 29 years, was knocked out of the competition within just five days, leaving fans devastated. Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, shared his sentiments with the media, quoting him as saying, “Cricket will be eventually destroyed when favourites are put in decision-making positions.”
Pakistan’s struggles in the tournament continued as they lost consecutive matches in the group stage to New Zealand and India. The defending champions needed a win over New Zealand with a favour from Bangladesh, but the Kiwis secured a five-wicket victory over the Tigers in Rawalpindi, advancing to the semi-finals alongside India.
Imran Khan also questioned the leadership of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, criticizing his track record in various positions. “Imran Khan said that no one in Pakistan holds as many positions as Mohsin Naqvi. When Naqvi was appointed [Punjab] Chief Minister, he committed injustices. He was appointed interior minister, and again, he committed injustices. Whichever position he is appointed to, he makes a mess of it,” Aleema Khan quoted him as saying, as reported by The Express Tribune.
Imran Khan further emphasized that a “respectable man” would have resigned after such poor performance, but that has not been the case with Naqvi.
Pakistan’s final group-stage match in the Champions Trophy 2025, against Bangladesh at the National Stadium in Rawalpindi, is now a formality, with both teams already eliminated from the tournament.
This is not the first time that the Pakistan Cricket Team has failed to perform in major ICC events. Last year, in the T20 World Cup held in the West Indies and the United States, Pakistan was knocked out after two consecutive group-stage losses, first to the United States and then to India. Similarly, in the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup in India, Pakistan won only four out of nine matches and finished fifth, failing to reach the knockouts.