Incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan expressed his disappointment over the Pakistan cricket team’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 performance.
Aleema Khan revealed that Imran watched the match against India and was deeply frustrated by the state of cricket in Pakistan.
“He was extremely saddened by the loss to India,” she said, questioning Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi’s credentials and experience in managing cricket affairs.
“Cricket will ultimately suffer when favorites are appointed to key decision-making roles,” said Aleema Khan, Imran’s sister, while speaking to journalists outside Adiala Jail.
Khan’s remarks come in the wake of Pakistan’s early exit from the tournament—the first International Cricket Council (ICC) event hosted by the country in 29 years.
The defending champions suffered a defeat in their opening match against New Zealand, a team that had already beaten them twice in the recent tri-nation ODI series featuring South Africa.
Despite high expectations from fans, the Mohammad Rizwan-led squad failed to deliver, losing a crucial match against arch-rivals India on February 23 in Dubai.
With consecutive losses, Pakistan’s fate in the tournament depended on other match outcomes. However, their elimination was sealed when New Zealand defeated Bangladesh on Monday, officially knocking them out. The team will now play their final match against Bangladesh at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on February 27.
Pakistan’s struggles in major tournaments have been a recurring issue. In the 2023 ODI World Cup, they won only four out of nine matches, finishing fifth with eight points. Their woes continued in the T20 World Cup 2024, where they suffered defeats against both India and the United States, crashing out early.
PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja also echoed Imran’s disappointment, stating that the party founder was “very sad” about the decline of national cricket.
“Cricket holds a deep emotional connection with the people of Pakistan,” he remarked, lamenting that the sport has been reduced to a “joke” in recent years.
