Rizwan's baffling behavior against India raises concerns: Pakistan captain's sudden change leaves legend puzzled

Pakistan faced a disappointing campaign in the Champions Trophy 2025 as they were unable to secure a win on home soil. Led by Mohammad Rizwan, the team suffered a 60-run loss to New Zealand in their first match and failed to bounce back against traditional rivals India in a one-sided game.

Pakistan's uninspiring performance against Rohit Sharma's side came under significant scanner, as the side failed to put up a fight with both, bat and ball. They were bowled out for 241 after opting to bat, and the lack of intent from captain Rizwan was criticised by many fans and former cricketers. India chased the target down with over seven overs to spare, with Virat Kohli's century being the icing on top of the cake for the men in blue.

Former Pakistan bowler Sarfaraz Nawaz didn't mince his words as he spoke about the body-language of Rizwan, stating that the pressure was clearly getting into the players before the marquee clash.

“There's no doubt about that (India are ahead of Pakistan). When I watched the toss, I saw the reaction of the Pakistan captain (Mohammad Rizwan). He looked lost somewhere. I don't know if it was due to pressure, but he didn't look the same as he generally does,” Nawaz told Cricbuzz.

“Unlike in other matches, he wasn't blabbering at all; he was just quiet. I don't know what went wrong there. Pakistan's selection was very poor. If there is no proper selection and a proper team is not picked, the other team will always be far ahead of you. This was the main issue.”

'Wrote to chairman…'

Nawaz also revealed that he wrote to PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi over the side's selection for the Champions Trophy, suggesting them two names who could make a mark; however, they weren't selected.

"It was a one-sided game because the Pakistan team was not properly selected. They didn't take spinners with them, and then there were two injuries (Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman). The team was unbalanced. Some players were selected because of backing from higher authorities.

“When the team was announced, I wrote to the chairman of the PCB suggesting spinners like Sajid (Khan) and Noman (Ali), who had wrecked England earlier. They performed well against the West Indies too, but they were not picked at all,” said the 76-year-old.

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