EXCLUSIVE: Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan WARNS India batters before ICC Champions Trophy 2025, say pitches will be…

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EXCLUSIVE: Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan WARNS India batters before ICC Champions Trophy 2025, say pitches will be…

EXCLUSIVE: Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan WARNS India batters before ICC Champions Trophy 2025, say pitches will be…

Pakistan cricketers Fakhar Zaman and Azam Khan are predicted tough conditions in Dubai for Indian cricket team for their matches in next month's ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman. (Photo: ANI)

The ongoing ILT20 2025 tournament may well provide a glimpse to the India cricket team what to expect that the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Although the tournament is being hosted by Pakistan, all of India’s matches will be held in Dubai. India’s three group games against Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand will all take place in UAE with provision of a semifinal and the final at the same venue should Indians progress.

The remaining tournament will be organised in Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi. However, two Pakistan batters who are part of the Desert Vipers team in the ILT20 2025 tournament – Fakhar Zaman and Azam Khan – have warned the Indian batters to be vary of conditions in Dubai.

The tracks in Dubai have been pace friendly so far, which may play into the hands of Pakistan pacers like Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf – if they are picked for Champions Trophy 2025. “UAE tracks are famous for being slow and it depends on ground staff prepare them. In PSL and IPL the bounce helps the pacers early on in the tournament before getting slow later. It’s good that these are not flat wickets here and good that the top order is being challenged,” Fakhar Azam told India.com English during an interaction on Friday.

Azam Khan, who is son of legendary Pakistan wicketkeeper Moin Khan, went on to warn India about the conditions as well. “It is tough to play in UAE in winter conditions when the ball moves around a little bit. In Pakistan the tracks will be flat for PSL (Pakistan Super League),” Azam said in the media interaction.

However, Pakistan opener Fakhar added that he didn’t expect that conditions would be this tough in ICC event. “ICC events the wickets are managed by ICC. I have played in lot of ICC tournament and there the tracks are not challenging. There are a lot of other things involved. If you give yourself time and take it as a challenge, you can make runs here as well,” an optimistic Fakhar added.

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya are match-winners for me: Fakhar Zaman

Fakhar Zaman has an incredible average of 46.56 in ODI cricket with a career-best score of 210 not out with 3,492 runs in the format including 11 centuries and 16 fifties. In 4 matches in Pakistan’s victorious campaign in ICC Champions Trophy 2017, Fakhar had scored 252 runs with 1 hundred and 2 fifties at a strike-rate of 113 with a match-winning 114 against India in the final.

“I have all good memories of the Champions Trophy 2017, it was such a big stage. Our team morale was quite down, that whole tournament was memorable for me. The way India played in the tournament – very few teams played that well. But it was our day on the final,” Fakhar recalled about CT 2017.

On his possible face off against Jasprit Bumrah again, Fakhar said, “Bumrah is a world-class bowler but our preparations are on our technique and weaknesses. It is same against Bumrah and other 11 players.”

Asked to name three Indian players to watch out for in the tournament, Fakhar said, “At international level, every player is a match-winner, every player who plays for 5-6 years. For me personally, Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are the match-winners for India.”

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are going through a tough patch, specially on the tour of Australia, which India lost 3-1. Rohit scored just 31 runs in the 3 Tests and was forced to drop himself for the fifth and final Test in Sydney.

“Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have played a lot of cricket, any meeting regarding them is discussed as a match-winner. You have to look at their legacy, for them ‘form is temporary, class is permanent’. Same is for Babar (Azam). Any planning for them is according to them as players at their peak,” Fakhar revealed.

India vs Pakistan clash is set to take in Dubai on February 23. India will open their campaign against Bangladesh at the same venue on February 20.

Finally asked about the level of competition in ILT20 as compared to the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Fakhar said, “Every team is strong in ILT20, there are so many foreign players in the league. In ILT20, 9-10 foreign players can play, substitutes rule can make teams even stronger – it is new for me but great experience.”

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