Champions Trophy: Mohammad Rizwan shares his views on Pakistan's exit
What's the story
Pakistan's campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, ended in an unceremonious fashion on Thursday.
The team's last group stage match against Bangladesh was called off due to incessant rain in Rawalpindi, leaving them at the bottom of Group A.
The disappointing end came after earlier defeats by New Zealand and India, which had already knocked Pakistan out of semi-final contention.
Team captain Mohammad Rizwan, expressed his disappointment over the team's performance.
Here's what he said.
Captain's perspective
We didn't perform well, says Rizwan
Rizwan acknowledged that injuries to key players Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman, had disrupted the team's balance.
"We wanted to do well and perform well in front of our nation," Rizwan stated in a press conference on Thursday.
He further added that "The expectations are very high. We didn't perform well and it is disappointing for us."
Injury setbacks
Impact of Ayub and Zaman's absence on team
Rizwan emphasized the effect of Ayub's absence, a player who had been performing well in Australia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
He said, "the team was combined and then suddenly when someone is injured, the team will be disturbed."
Even with these challenges, Rizwan maintained that there were no excuses for their performance.
"Yes, Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub were injured," he said. "But we will learn from this."
Improvement needed
Rizwan calls for improvement in Pakistan's cricket
When asked if he was satisfied with Pakistan's bench strength, Rizwan stressed on the need to improve further.
He said, "We want improvements in different things." He also stressed on professionalism and high standards in cricket.
Looking ahead, Rizwan said he was determined to bounce back during their upcoming tour of New Zealand starting March 16.