Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (DUBAI)
Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan said on Tuesday that the Champions Trophy would be a "historic occasion" for the country, a day before the hosts kick the tournament off against New Zealand.
They will then move to Dubai to play India on Sunday after the latter refused to play in Pakistan and it was decided to include the UAE as co-hosts for the tournament, which is being revived in the one-day format.
The Champions Trophy is the first major cricket event hosted by Pakistan in nearly three decades and is regarded as second only to the World Cup in the one-day game. Pakistan has been besieged by security issues. They were due to host the event in 2008 but it was postponed briefly.
Any chances of restoring it were dashed in 2009 when gunmen attacked a bus carrying Sri Lanka's team in Lahore. "A global event has come to Pakistan after 29 years so I think the whole nation should enjoy this historic occasion," said Rizwan at a news conference on Tuesday.
Major teams have toured Pakistan in the past five years as security has improved, paving the way for the tournament which runs until March 9. "Pakistan has suffered enough and for a long time, but we have also won during this phase like the 2017 Champions Trophy and the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup," Rizwan said.
Meanwhile, Rizwan hoped to have pace bowler Haris Rauf on the pitch after he suffered a chest muscle strain during a tri-series last week. New Zealand beat Pakistan twice to win the event which also included South Africa. "Haris bowled 80% yesterday and today he is bowling at his full rhythm and told us that he is not feeling any discomfort, so I hope he is fully fit," Rizwan said.
In reports for the Telecom Asia Sport website, Rauf said he was ready and determined to play a winning part in Pakistan's campaign, including taking on India's star batsman Virat Kohli who put him to the sword at the 2022 Twenty20 World Cup in Melbourne.
Despite the intensity of the Pakistan-India matches, the players hold Kohli in high esteem even though the latter is struggling for form. "He is a world-class player. I always have fun bonding with him," Rauf said. "He poses a stiff challenge to any bowler, and it's the same for me. When we play against India come Sunday, it will be a match full of challenges. The best thing about bowling to him is you learn a lot of things."
Even Rauf's former captain and the world's top-ranked batsman Babar Azam has refused to accept Kohli's nickname "King" when anointed by Pakistan media. According to reports, Azam is very likely to open the innings in the Champions Trophy because Pakistan want their best batsman to lead from the top.
