Sarfaraz Ahmed was the Pakistan captain, when the Men in Green defeated India in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017 in England to lift the trophy. This was the last time the tournament was organized.
However, the Champions Trophy is making its grand return in 2025 with Pakistan playing hosts along with Dubai. The 8-team tournament begins on February 19 and the final is scheduled for March 9.
Ahead of the marquee event, former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed recounted the team's historic 2017 success, in which they overcame archrivals India in the final to claim their first title.
Sarfaraz spoke on the high-pressure nature of India-Pakistan cricket matches, as well as the mindset that allowed his side make history.
“Whenever we meet, it is a special occasion, and there is so much hype and pressure around it. But as players, you need to stay calm, try and block that noise out, and just play with the same intensity as you would against Australia or any other team,” Sarfaraz said to ICC.
Pakistan had suffered a crushing defeat to India in the group stage, but the team regrouped and made a terrific comeback. They then crushed India in return in the final by 180 runs to win their second ICC tournament.
Sarfaraz credited the turnaround to senior players like Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez.
“Afterwards, we had a great team meeting, and some of our senior guys – Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez – all said their piece. You need those types of characters around you. We changed our mindset from that day. We knew we had beaten some of the best teams, so India was nothing we had not seen,” Sarfaraz said about the final.
Pakistan scored a massive total in the final against India, due to a magnificent century from Fakhar Zaman. Mohammad Amir then unleashed a lethal spell, shattering India's top order for a comfortable 180-run win. Aside from Hardik Pandya, none of the other batters could come to party for India.
“The rest is history. When the last wicket went down and we won, it is impossible to describe that feeling in words. I saw Shoaib Malik and ran into his arms. The whole team joined in. It was indescribable,” the former captain added.
Sarfaraz believes Pakistan has a strong chance of defending their title, given the presence of key players from the 2017 squad.
“Some of the boys from 2017 are still there, and we’re talking about some of the best – especially Babar Azam. He is a different Babar to the one that played in 2017, a more mature and dominant player. His batting will be so important for Pakistan, and so will Fakhar Zaman’s,” he said.
Pakistan will face New Zealand on February 19 in Karachi, followed by India on February 23 in Dubai, for the Champions Trophy 2025.
(ICC inputs)
