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Pakistan’s campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 came to a disappointing end this week, with the team crashing out in the group stage after losses to New Zealand and India. While the on-field performances left much to be desired, former Pakistan women’s team captain Sana Mir has pointed the finger squarely at the team selection, calling it a fundamental misstep that doomed the side from the outset.
A tournament lost at the selection table
Pakistan’s 15-member squad, unveiled earlier this month, featured a mix of stalwarts like Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, and Shaheen Afridi. On paper, it looked competitive—but Mir, a veteran of over 300 white-ball internationals, saw disaster looming from the start. For Mir, the writing was on the wall long before the first ball was bowled.
Reflecting on the team’s six-wicket loss to India in Dubai while speaking on ‘Game on Hai’ show, she recounted a telling moment: “I was watching the match when I got a message from a friend that India are 100 for 2 ‘I think it’s over’. So, I said the match was over when the squad was announced.”
The crux of her argument lies in Pakistan’s failure to tailor the squad to the tournament’s conditions. With at least one match scheduled in Dubai—where spin traditionally plays a pivotal role—Mir was baffled by the lack of specialist spinners.
“Half the tournament we had lost when we announced the 15-member squad, and I am saying this from day one. They knew that Pakistan had to play at least one match in Dubai, so how did you bring two part-time spinners?” asserter Mir.
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Even MS Dhoni would struggle to lead this squad: Sana Mir
In a scathing critique, Mir remarked that even cricketing greats like MS Dhoni or Younis Khan would struggle to lead this squad to glory, underscoring what she sees as a disconnect between the team composition and the tournament’s demands.
“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,” said Mir.
