Pakistan’s loss gainst India and New Zealand have sparked criticism from former cricketers and experts from Pakistan. Former opener Ahmed Shehzad shared his disappointment, questioning the team’s selection process.

"People say there’s no favoritism in team selection, but we’ve seen it happen. We know the truth, and we’ll speak up unless things start improving. Cricket was the only sport Pakistan took pride in, and now even that is struggling," Shehzad told Geo.tv.

Virat Kohli’s brilliant century helped India secure a win over Pakistan. Earlier, Mohammad Rizwan and his team had lost against New Zealand in their opening match after failing to chase a 321-run target.  

Ahmad Shehzad blasting Reaction on Pakistan cricket team and military establishment backed Management after Pakistan 🇵🇰 lost both matches against kiwis and India 🇮🇳 and are now out of the champions trophy 2025 being host a big embarrassment for them #ChampionsTrophy2025… pic.twitter.com/oy3nrw8gh9

— 🌧️Majestic Kashmir🍁 (@MajesticKashmir) February 24, 2025

Pakistan’s poor performance, former fast bowler Mohammad Amir requested the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to focus on top performers from domestic cricket rather than selecting players based on the Pakistan Super League (PSL). “PSL should not be the main criteria for national team selection. The best players from domestic cricket should be given priority,” Amir said.  

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Champions Trophy: Cricket is finished in Pakistan, Ahmed Shehzad says. Pakistan suffered second defeat on the trot after having lost to New Zealand in opener. @gulf_news @TheRealPCB @BCCI #ChampionsTrophy #ChampionsTrophy2025 https://t.co/O0twV4iccS pic.twitter.com/FssE1gu82Q

— Gulf News Sport (@GulfNewsSport) February 24, 2025

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi also criticized Pakistan’s recent approach. “I knew this would happen. You can’t play with a 1980s-90s mindset in 2025 and expect to win. Since 2017, Pakistan hasn’t achieved anything in ICC events despite all the talk about preparation. We don’t even know our best team for home conditions. Our bowling lacked aggression, and if you want to beat strong teams, you have to play attacking cricket,” Afridi said.  

With defeats against India and New Zealand, Pakistan is now officially out of the ICC Champions Trophy after New Zealand’s win over Bangladesh secured their spot in the semi-finals alongside India. Pakistan will now return home from Dubai and prepare for their final group match against Bangladesh on Thursday. India will take on New Zealand in their last group-stage game on Sunday, March 2.