Rawalpindi: Pakistan’s campaign in the Champions Trophy ended on a winless note after their match against Bangladesh was called off without a ball being bowled due to incessant rain here on Thursday.
The match was effectively a dead-rubber, with both teams already out of contention after failing to secure a win in their two previous matches. Pakistan, hosting an ICC tournament for the first time in 29 years, had hoped for a strong finish but ended their disastrous campaign without a victory.
Persistent downpour left the ground soaked, with covers in place and puddles forming around the field. With weather not improving, match officials called off the game nearly two hours after the scheduled start time. The gloomy weather prevented even the toss from taking place.
As a result, the two teams shared one point each, though both Pakistan and Bangladesh finished the tournament winless.
This is the second match in Rawalpindi to be called off without a ball being bowled, following the washout between South Africa and Australia earlier this week.
The rain-induced abandonment left the home fans frustrated, as they hoped for play at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan have faced criticism for their poor showing in the tournament, having suffered defeats to New Zealand (by 60 runs) and India (by six wickets).
“We wanted to do well and perform well in front of our nation. The expectations are very high. We didn’t perform well and it is disappointing for us,” Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan said.
Reflecting on the road ahead, Rizwan said: “You can learn from your mistakes. We have made mistakes in the last few games. Hopefully, we can learn from these.
“We are next going to New Zealand and, hopefully, we can perform there and the mistakes that we did against New Zealand here in Pakistan, we can learn from that. And we will do better in New Zealand. ”
‘We put a lot of pressure on ourselves playing against India’
Pakistan’s assistant coach, Azhar Mahmood, who hails from the city, attributed his team’s poor show in the tournament to injuries to key players, and the fact that the team took too much pressure against India.
“We haven’t played well in this tournament. We have played good cricket in this format, but in the tournament it has not gone well because of injuries. Against India, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves,” he said.
“We know where we need to improve. It is all about adapting and taking responsibility. The results have also been a surprise for us,” he added.
The former Test all-rounder said that the people need to keep faith in the players.
“We have to stick with the talent we identify for it to come good over the months,” said Mahmood.
Pakistan had lost two top players — Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub — to injuries, affecting their campaign.
“The guy who has been performing from the last few months in Australia, South Africa, Zimbabwe… the team was combined and then suddenly when someone is injured, the team will be disturbed,” added Rizwan.
“As a captain, you can look forward to that as well. One side you can say that the team is disturbed, but this is no excuse. Yes, Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub were injured, but we will learn from this,” the captain added.
“We are all very disappointed. We are all here for the nation. Pakistan is our priority and the expectation from us is very high. We are upset and we are accepting that we didn’t do well. Hopefully, we will do more hard work and comeback,” added Rizwan.
Much to reflect for Bangladesh
Bangladesh, who also ended their tournament winless, will return home with much to reflect on after losing to India by six wickets and New Zealand by five wickets.
“I am very disappointed. We really wanted to play this match, but can’t do anything about the weather. The way we held the game for long periods was very inspiring for us in the two matches,” Bangladesh captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto said.
“We hope we can learn from our mistakes. We will make a proper plan and execute the plan.”
Talking about their bowling unit, Shanto said: “We have always struggled with our fast bowling unit, but in the last few years a lot of fast bowlers are coming through.
“Some of the fast bowlers back home are doing very well. The likes of Taskin, Rana coming in. Fizz is there. We have a very good bowling attack. I hope they will do the job and do the best for the team.”
