Lahore, Jan 31: Former Pakistan captain Moin Khan has urged Pakistani cricketers to avoid being friendly with their Indian counterparts on the field, calling such behavior a “sign of weakness.” His remarks come ahead of the Pakistan-India Champions Trophy clash on February 23 in Dubai.
Speaking on a podcast, Moin expressed his disapproval of players engaging in friendly exchanges during matches. He emphasized maintaining professional boundaries, recalling that in his playing days, seniors advised against any interaction with Indian players on the field.While acknowledging his respect for Indian cricketers, the 53-year-old insisted that excessive friendliness can lead to pressure and impact performance. Moin, who played 69 Tests and 219 ODIs labeled both teams as favorites for the upcoming tournament. (PTI)
Pakistan name squad for Champions Trophy
Pakistan selectors on Friday sprung a surprise by including just one specialist spinner and picking nine batsmen in their 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy beginning next month.Abrar Ahmed, 26, the only specialist spinner in the squad captained by Mohammad Rizwan, has played four ODIs taking 10 wickets with a best of 4/33.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that it can make changes to the squad until February 11 as per the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) rules.
The selectors have recalled all-rounders Khushdil Shah and Faheem Ashraf and opener Fakhar Zaman, whose inclusion was on the cards after Saim Ayub sustained an ankle injury.Fakhar last played for Pakistan during the 2023 World Cup in India, while Khushdil’s last appearance was in Rotterdam in 2022.
Faheem’s last appearance was in the 50-over Asia Cup in early 2023.
Pakistan squad: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Salman Ali Agha (vc), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Saud Shakeel, Kamran Ghulam, Khushdil Shah, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Muhammad Hasnain and Abrar Ahmed.
