Moin Khan talks about captaincy controversy, India's potential withdrawal from Pakistan-hosted Champions Trophy 2025

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Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Moin Khan has expressed his views on the looming issue of India's potential refusal to participate in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, which is set to be hosted in Pakistan. 

In an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, Moin has called on Indian cricket legends to persuade the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to ensure their team's participation, emphasizing the broader implications for the sport if India were to withdraw.

He firmly believes that cricket should remain a domain separate from political disputes. 

"In my view, Indian cricket legends should advise the BCCI to keep sports separate from politics. Fans worldwide want India and Pakistan to play, benefiting not just Pakistan but the sport as a whole. India must honor ICC commitments, and if they don't, Pakistan should also consider taking a stand by not participating in future tournaments in India," Moin said.

The former captain also took the opportunity to voice his support for his son, Azam Khan, who has faced notable exclusion from key events. Azam Khan was notably dropped from the 2022 T20 World Cup squad by then-chief selector Ramiz Raja, a decision that Moin Khan critiqued heavily.

He also criticized the handling of Azam Khan, stating that the young player's morale was affected by the abrupt changes.

"I watched the entire World Cup and the matches leading up to it, and it seemed like Azam was the number one choice for wicketkeeping and batting. Then suddenly, after just one match, the entire strategy was changed. Azam wasn't given a chance to keep wickets after one match and was dropped after getting out on the very first ball. Any player can get out on the first ball, but here the tradition of developing players that used to exist is no longer there. Whether it's the captain or the management, if they make such quick changes to players, how can we produce good players?" he said.

"In the 2022 World Cup, Azam was also selected for the team, but Ramiz Raja dropped him. At that time, if the chief selector had made a wrong selection, he should have been removed, but they didn't have the courage, and as a result, they demoralized a young player. In this World Cup as well, you can see how he was played. I'm not saying that all the blame lies with the team management and the captain; Azam has his own shortcomings too. He needs to make himself physically and mentally stronger, follow the fitness routines of other sportsmen. For the past month or so, I’ve noticed he’s been working hard to improve his fitness with his trainer Shehzar Mohammad, even taking him along to the Caribbean League. I hope Azam has learned a lot from this experience," he added.

Regarding the captaincy issues across formats, Moin expressed his strong support for Shaheen Afridi. He believes Afridi is well-suited to lead the Pakistan team in T20Is. He also discussed the broader implications of frequent captaincy changes and the need for stability.

"Shaheen Afridi has the ability to lead the team and is highly liked by the players. He is an excellent choice for captaincy in T20s. In white-ball cricket, I don't see anyone else suitable for the role. Removing him from the captaincy was unjust. He is one of the best T20 players, and I've noticed his performance has slightly declined since he was removed from the captaincy. How can you expect good performance if you don't give players confidence? They should be given some time as captain," he said.

"A single captain can be appointed for all formats of cricket, but it's crucial for any player to perform across all formats to achieve this. Whoever becomes captain should have the responsibility for a long term. There is no doubt about Mohammad Rizwan's abilities; any criticism against him might be due to his age. It's also important to consider how long he can represent the team if given leadership. Mohammad Rizwan could be a great short-term captain, but you would need to groom a young cricketer to take over in the future. We often appoint captains but fail to prepare a suitable deputy," he added.

The 52-year-old concluded by emphasizing the negative impact of frequent changes on team performance.

"Conflicts among players are common, and frequent changes, including changing the captain, will definitely affect team performance. Players may not listen to their captain if there are constant changes. If the cricket board provides full support to the captain and assures them of a long-term responsibility, the team's performance will improve," he concluded.