Pakistan is currently hosting this year’s Champions Trophy, with the UAE serving as a co-host, as all matches involving the Indian team are taking place in Dubai.
In a significant blow, the host nation, Pakistan, has become the first team to exit the tournament, unable to advance beyond the group stages. Their consecutive losses to New Zealand and India have signaled the end of their championship hopes.
Led by Mohammad Rizwan, the team entered the tournament as defending champions, having triumphed over India in the final during the tournament’s last edition in 2017. Pakistan’s title defense ranks as one of the weakest in ICC history, as they have been the first team officially eliminated in this iteration of the tournament.
Sana Mir, a 39-year-old bowling all-rounder and former captain of the Pakistan women’s cricket team, has expressed strong disapproval of the men’s team’s performance following their swift exit from the Champions Trophy. She believes the team’s difficulties stemmed more from poor selection choices than from issues with leadership or talent.
A pivotal figure in Pakistan’s past successes, Sana Mir made her international debut on December 28, 2005, in an ODI against Sri Lanka in Karachi. Over her career spanning over 300 white-ball matches, she secured 151 wickets at an average of 24.27 and an economy rate of 3.70 across 118 innings. Her achievements include seven four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul, the latter achieved on October 9, 2010, against the Netherlands with remarkable match figures of 5 for 32 in 9 overs. Mir also contributed a total of 1,630 runs at a strike rate of 43.23 in 110 innings, which includes three fifties in ODIs.
Mir made her T20I debut on May 25, 2009, against Ireland, claiming 89 wickets at an average of 23.42 and an economy of 5.51 in 105 innings. Notably, her best T20I performance came on May 28, 2009, against Ireland, where she recorded outstanding figures of 4 for 13 in 4 overs. In addition to her bowling, she amassed 802 runs in 81 T20I innings.
Sana Mir lamented the selection committee’s failure to consider the playing conditions in Dubai and the unique context of facing India. She pointed out the inclusion of two part-time spinners, such as Abrar Ahmed, who is relatively inexperienced in ODIs, as a questionable choice.
Moreover, she underscored the absence of pivotal players who had recently performed well against teams like Australia and South Africa, particularly highlighting the lack of Irfan Khan Niazi, known for his exceptional fielding and powerful batting. According to Mir, these exclusions adversely affected the team’s prospects from the start.
Mir’s assertion is clear: even the most esteemed captains like Mahendra Singh Dhoni or Younis Khan would not have altered the team’s fate. She emphasizes that the selection itself is fundamentally flawed. “The 15 that have been selected, even if you make MS Dhoni or Younis Khan captain, nobody can do anything to the team because it has not been selected on the basis of the playing conditions,” she remarked on the show ‘Game On Hai’.
Pakistan, under the leadership of Mohammad Rizwan, is set to conclude their Champions Trophy journey with their final group stage match against Bangladesh on February 27, 2025 (Thursday) at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, starting at 2:30 PM IST.
Mir’s critique highlights the critical importance of context-based team selection, reinforcing that victory is often out of reach, regardless of skill or leadership, if the player selections fail to correspond to the specific conditions. For Pakistan to regroup and fortify their cricketing future, a more thoughtful approach to team selection appears essential.
Further analysis of the selection committee’s strategies is necessary, as Mir’s insights reveal how these decisions have far-reaching implications for match outcomes in high-stakes competitions like the Champions Trophy. Her comments draw attention to the intricate interplay between strategy, player choice, and leadership in achieving success on the global stage.
Image Source: Sana Mir @ Instagram
