Pakistan entered the 2025 Champions Trophy as defending champions but failed to live up to expectations. They were among the first to be eliminated from the tournament, which they hosted. Pakistan’s disappointing performance drew widespread criticism, targeting everything from player motivation to the Pakistan Cricket Board’s planning. Even stars from the 1990s, a period of World Cup victory and memorable wins for Pakistan, faced scrutiny.
Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez recently stated that the team achieved no major victories between the mid-1990s and mid-2000s, failing to inspire future generations. “They didn’t win an ICC event – losing in 1996, 1999, and 2003. We reached a final and suffered a heavy defeat. While individually brilliant, they didn’t inspire us by winning an ICC event,” Hafeez commented. “I admire the players of the 1990s, but in terms of legacy, they left nothing for Pakistan.”
Pakistan’s legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram reacted strongly to these remarks. “I have much to say about those making such statements, but I don’t want to give them attention. ‘Woh meri zindagi se nikal chuke hai, unke naam bhi nahi lena chahiye’ (These people are out of my life, their names shouldn’t even be mentioned),” Akram stated on the Dressing Room Show.
Earlier, Waqar Younis also responded to Hafeez’s criticism of the 1990s and early 2000s stars’ legacy. Sharing his and Wasim Akram’s statistics on social media, Waqar wrote ’90’s KA LONDA (Boys of the 90s)’. He also highlighted their Test and ODI match counts and wickets taken.
The Pakistan cricket team concluded their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign on a low note. After losing their initial matches against New Zealand and India, they drew with Bangladesh in their final game. Consequently, Mohammad Rizwan’s team finished last in Group A with one point and a net run rate (NRR) of -1.087.
