Aaqib Javed dismisses India's venue advantage as reason for defeat
What's the story
Pakistan's head coach, Aaqib Javed, has refuted claims that India's sole use of Dubai as their playing venue was the reason Pakistan lost the high-stakes ICC Champions Trophy match.
The statement came during a press conference before Pakistan's last Group A match against Bangladesh.
While admitting that there could be some advantages to playing at one venue, Javed stressed that that wasn't why they lost.
Here's what the coach had to say.
Venue controversy
Javed responds to former England cricketers' comments
The controversy began when ex-England cricketers Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton stated that India had an "undeniable advantage" by playing all their matches in Dubai.
Addressing these comments, Javed said, "See, they are in Dubai for a reason. They are playing only in Dubai because of a specific reason."
"But we didn't lose because of that. It was not like they played 10 matches before we came there," Javed added.
Security measures
India's decision to play in Dubai due to security concerns
Citing security concerns, India opted to play all their Champions Trophy matches, including the semi-final, in Dubai.
This decision came even before Pakistan proposed limiting India's matches to just one venue—Lahore.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) and both cricket boards approved this hybrid model last year.
Emotional impact
Javed highlights team's emotions after loss to India
Urging critics and fans to understand, Javed said, "But when the team plays and doesn't get the desired results, the players are the most disappointed. They are hurt."
"We can only try to make the team better. "There are no excuses in life, nor should there be. If you look at this team, we are all hopeful before a match," he added.
"Whatever we are lacking, we need to improve," he said regarding the team's improvement in performance.
Experience deficit
Javed points out Pakistan's lack of experience in defeat
Javed also highlighted Pakistan's inexperience as a major reason behind their defeat against India.
He observed the stark contrast in the combined match experience of both teams, with India having played approximately 1,500 matches against Pakistan's 400-odd.
"When Pakistan and India play, it's not just cricket. You need a lot of experience. India is the most experienced - collectively, they have played 1,500 matches. Pakistan, on the other hand, is at the bottom with around 400 games, he noted.
Match recap
India beat Pakistan for the third time in Champions Trophy
India hammered Pakistan in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy encounter at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
The Men in Blue successfully chased down 242 after they bowled out Pakistan.
India's win was powered by ton-up Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer.
Earlier, Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya shared five wickets to derail Pakistan.
India now have three wins against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy.
Overall, India now enjoy an 11-3 lead over Pakistan in ICC ODI matches.