Babar Azam confident as Pakistan prepares to defend Champions Trophy at home

Pakistan’s star batter, Babar Azam, is set to play a key role as the team defends its ICC Champions Trophy title on home soil. With Pakistan hosting its first ICC event since 1996, excitement is high among fans and players alike.  

Pakistan won the Champions Trophy back in 2017, and Babar was part of that victorious squad as a 22-year-old rising star. Now, at 30, he is one of the world’s top-ranked ODI batters and will be crucial in Pakistan’s campaign to win the title again.  

“As a player, I am very excited, and all the fans are excited,” Babar said. “A lot has changed since the Champions Trophy was held in 2017. We have new players coming, we only have three or four players who were part of that winning team. But the belief, confidence, and execution are the same.”    

Pakistan has faced some difficulties in recent years, including early exits from the last two ICC tournaments and multiple coaching changes. Their disappointing performance in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, where they were even beaten by the USA, was a major setback.  

However, Babar is not dwelling on the past. Instead, he is focused on making sure Pakistan performs well in this tournament.  

“There is no pressure of anything. What has happened in the past is beyond us. We have discussed mistakes we have made and we have worked on them,” he said.  

Babar also embraces his leadership role, saying, “When you have responsibility as a senior player in any team and the team relies on you and has belief in you, then I take it in a positive way.”   

Pakistan will start their Champions Trophy campaign against New Zealand in Karachi, followed by a highly anticipated match against India in Dubai on February 23. They will then finish the group stage against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi.  

Babar believes playing at home will give Pakistan an advantage, but he knows the team still needs to perform well.  

“When you play at home you get that edge as you know the conditions,” he said. “You have a knowledge of how the pitch will behave, both in the first and second (innings), but still, you have to play good cricket because all other teams are among the best. It means a lot to be hosting the competition.”  

With Babar leading from the front, Pakistan will be aiming for a strong start in their title defense.