Rawalpindi: Pakistan's captain Mohammad Rizwan expressed his "disappointment" following the team's exit from the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025, being held in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The final group stage match against Bangladesh ended in a washout, leaving Pakistan at the bottom of Group A in the tournament standings.
After suffering consecutive defeats to New Zealand and India, the team, under Rizwan's leadership, concluded the tournament with just one point.
Reflecting on their performance, Rizwan acknowledged that the absence of key players Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman due to injuries disrupted the team's balance.
"We aimed to perform well for our nation, and the expectations were high. Our performance fell short, which is disappointing for us," Rizwan stated, as reported by ICC.
He further commented on Ayub's injury, noting, "The player who has been excelling in recent months in Australia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe was suddenly unavailable, which affected the team's dynamics."
"As a captain, I recognize that while the team was impacted, this cannot serve as an excuse. Yes, we missed Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub, but we will take lessons from this experience," Rizwan added.
Ayub, who played a crucial role in Pakistan's ODI series victories in Australia and South Africa last year, was sidelined from the tournament due to an ankle injury sustained during the Test series against South Africa.
Zaman was initially included in Pakistan's squad at the beginning of the tournament but had to withdraw due to an oblique muscle strain sustained during the opening match against New Zealand.
When asked about his satisfaction with Pakistan's bench strength, Rizwan emphasized the necessity for further enhancements, particularly in the domestic circuit.
"We seek improvements in various areas. To elevate our standards and for Pakistan to excel, we require greater awareness and professionalism. While we observe some of this in the Champions Cup, there is still room for more progress," the 32-year-old remarked.
Pakistan's upcoming tour to New Zealand will feature a five-match T20I series and three ODIs, commencing on March 16. Looking ahead, Rizwan acknowledged the team's aim to rebound strongly against the Black Caps.
"We have made errors in our recent matches. We hope to learn from these experiences. As we prepare for New Zealand, we aim to perform well and apply the lessons learned from our previous encounters with them here in Pakistan. We are determined to improve in New Zealand," the wicketkeeper-batter concluded.
