How can you knock India out? Ahmed Shezhad names his favourite for Champions Trophy

India Today

Champions Trophy 2025: Veteran Pakistani batter Ahmed Shehzad, in an exclusive interview with India Today, said that it would be hard to beat India since the Men in Blue have their bases covered with Virat Kohli also returning to form.

Transcript

00:00Okay we are coming to you live from Lahore and with me a man who needs no

00:05introduction if you watch international cricket you know who's standing next to

00:08me Ahmed Shehzad. Ahmed thank you so much for speaking to us. Firstly I must say

00:13you're looking dapper and very fit. I mean maybe the Pakistan team needs you

00:18all you need to do is just pick up your bag, your kit pack and head to the ground.

00:21Thank you. First of all welcome to my country. Thank you very much.

00:25Give me some time so that I can show you around Lahore so that you know what Lahore is like.

00:30Secondly, I have retired from this regime. I don't think I'll be able to play.

00:35I'm not even practising or anything. What I'm doing is making sure that I can stay within my capacity

00:42and be of help to Pakistan and this is what I'm doing.

00:47That's good but tell me is it one of the reasons like you are saying

00:52that you can't retire from this regime. Do you think this is one of the reasons

00:58Pakistan cricket is where it is because of the political interference or the way

01:02the PCB is being run? Political interference throughout has been there.

01:08There's no doubt about it and the team's situation right now, it's not because of

01:13these two years or a year. This has been happening for a while now.

01:18When you don't bring reforms, when you don't prevail over merit and when you don't

01:25control the indiscipline that's going on in the team, sooner or later these results

01:31are bound to come and we've been first when we were in the circle system.

01:36We've been watching it. When it comes to being vocal, people don't like it when you speak the truth.

01:42So slowly I saw that I was the one who was pushed aside from the system and those things

01:49were done that don't happen in a cricket team. So I took retirement from this regime

01:54when the water passed through my head and the results are in front of everyone.

01:58Like last year when we started talking and 60% of the people criticised that maybe he

02:05wants to come himself, maybe he's jealous of someone. No, my job is to raise a slogan

02:11that Pakistan is bigger than India. We love the soil. We're not a product that

02:15played two PSL matches and got into the team. No, we've given a life. We started from under 12

02:21and played under PCB. We came into the team following a structure and such players have

02:27a lot of value. They know your whole system. So I think this is what I've been doing and

02:31saying. When it didn't happen, I thought now that is it. What I can do is I can dump my

02:36cricket. Imagine if the Indian team comes in at 8th or 7th, what will be your reaction?

02:43The Indian team had just lost to New Zealand. Everyone from Australia loses.

02:48New Zealand came home and whitewashed you. I don't know how long it's been.

02:52You've seen the reaction, right? They're talking about kicking out King Kohli.

02:55Rohit Sharma, who's not a bigger player than him in the white ball, you're talking about

03:01kicking him out. So imagine this team has been hit rock bottom at 8th. And if players

03:08like me who have always kept the country above everything, it hurts. There's disappointment.

03:13There's no other reason. You need to do the right reforms, which were not happening.

03:18When you put things under the carpet, the results are like this. So now is the time.

03:24High time. Nothing has gone wrong. Things are getting better. You need to do the right reforms.

03:30The right person for the right people. You need to get good appointments.

03:34The right man for the right job. When you start doing all these things one by one,

03:39nothing is forever. Look at the Indian team. They didn't even get a pass from Pakistan.

03:44Do you remember that time?

03:4580s, 90s.

03:46If you look at the records, Pakistan is still up even after losing so much. Why is that?

03:50Because the Indian team is with Pakistan. But what did India do?

03:54No country does anything good. I believe you should learn from it.

03:58And India's example is in front of all of us. Out of such a large population, they developed

04:03a right infrastructure. They laid it. They laid the trap of Ranji Trophy.

04:07They prevailed over merit. They handed the cricket to the right people.

04:12They brought the right man for the right job professionals.

04:16After that, the boys who were supported by the team were righteous boys.

04:20They didn't do groupings in the team. They were potential and skilled players.

04:24Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma. If you look at Dhoni, he was a leader before.

04:29A leader does a lot of things. Look at MS Dhoni.

04:32The boys who MS Dhoni has supported are doing wonders for India.

04:38Jadeja, Raina, Ashwin, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma.

04:42All of them are under Dhoni. And now what is he doing?

04:46What Dhoni has done to them, he is doing to others.

04:49So this is a fight that is going on. That's how you move on.

04:52But in Pakistan, the leaders like Babur Azam, who was in front of you,

04:57they speak for themselves. They are very sad to see them in this condition.

05:03When they started, it seemed that they would break all the records of Pakistan.

05:07But now all the records are in front of you.

05:10There are no such long failures. We were telling you.

05:13You did all this wrong. You made a performer a captain.

05:17After that, the captains had some friends.

05:21They kept taking friends. They didn't look at the merit.

05:25So sir, what happens is that when you oblige your friends,

05:28the domestic wheel stops. The performer doesn't get a chance.

05:33I wanted to ask you this. Very interesting point.

05:35Whether Pakistan does good or bad.

05:38We have been watching for a long time. The performances have come down.

05:41Yet, when we see from the outside, it is the same Naseem Shah,

05:44it will be the same Shaheen Shah, it will be the same Harish Rao.

05:47My point is, is there enough bench strength or not?

05:50This is the best possible available place. You would know best.

05:53This is what it is. Those who have never been in the domestic,

05:56those who don't know about the domestic, they sit and talk.

06:00There is no bench strength. Sir, first come to the domestic,

06:03then you will know. Then, the PR of these players,

06:07the friends who nudge their narrative,

06:11this system is run through them.

06:13There is no one behind, so we will play.

06:16Sir, because of this, there is no one behind,

06:18these players play for so long.

06:20Look, you get paid heavily. You are the ambassadors of the country.

06:24This is a performance-based place.

06:26The one who gives performance, he will stay.

06:28The one who doesn't give, eventually he has to go abroad.

06:31But in this lot, whether there is performance or not, he will play.

06:35And no one can win an event.

06:37You see, Babar Azam has played 8-9 events.

06:39Shaheen has played 7-8 events.

06:41Naseem has played 7 events.

06:42Harish Roph has played 5 events.

06:43Rizwan has played 7 events.

06:45If out of these, they haven't won anything for you,

06:49it means they have played their peak cricket.

06:51Now they have a decline.

06:52Now you cannot expect anything else.

06:54I think, if you ask me, they have played 2 events more.

06:58These things should have happened earlier.

07:00If there was some other developing country in our place,

07:03which was doing things based on merit,

07:05then maybe they wouldn't have got such a chance.

07:07But I think, it is still the right time.

07:09Nothing has gone wrong.

07:11It takes a little time.

07:12You bring the righteous people,

07:14who are loyal to your country.

07:16Who know the roots of your country well.

07:19They know where the problems are.

07:22And then you give them to the right people in the team.

07:26Good management, good leaders.

07:28Sooner or later, they become players.

07:30Have you ever seen,

07:31players from all over the world leave.

07:32Dhoni left.

07:33The team stopped.

07:34Sachin Tendulkar left.

07:35Yuvraj left.

07:36The team stopped.

07:37Sachin left.

07:38The team stopped.

07:39From here, Pakistan's legends left.

07:41The team doesn't stop.

07:42Players come.

07:43But your intention should be to move on.

07:46But I think, this time the performance was very bad.

07:49Pakistan will understand this time.

07:51Okay, I want to speak to you about a bigger picture.

07:54I am here in Pakistan as a journalist covering the tournament.

07:57The Indian team is not here.

07:59What would you like,

08:00if you had to send a message out to the Indian players,

08:02or the Indian team,

08:03about coming to Pakistan and playing cricket here?

08:05Look, we have said this before,

08:07that it is very unfair with the players.

08:09The players here,

08:10think about it,

08:11Kohli, essentially, is my favourite player.

08:13You must have heard about him.

08:14Because we see from which country he is from.

08:17He has a lot of brothers there.

08:18And we see that,

08:20because as a cricketer,

08:21we are fans of cricket.

08:22Whoever plays well,

08:24we love them.

08:25We openly praise them.

08:26Whenever they play,

08:27and their achievements,

08:28they shout it out loud.

08:30A little role model,

08:31professional,

08:32fitness level,

08:33sacrifice.

08:34So, sir,

08:35what advice would I give them?

08:36I would just advise them,

08:38that the way you are entertaining the whole world,

08:41keep doing it.

08:42By watching you,

08:43as long as you are playing,

08:44Rohit Sharma,

08:45Virat Kohli,

08:46Bhoomra,

08:47I feel like watching cricket.

08:49So, all these guys,

08:50who are sharing with you,

08:52Shubman Gill,

08:53Arshadeep,

08:54all these things,

08:55they will be very useful for the country.

08:57Keep playing,

08:58and all the best,

08:59because you guys are looking

09:00really, really dangerous

09:01in this ICC Champions Trophy.

09:02That was going to be my last question,

09:04before we wind up.

09:05Who are your favourites for this tournament?

09:07Of course,

09:08the Asian team,

09:09there is a tournament in Asia,

09:10and how can you out India?

09:12You see,

09:13they are playing all the matches in Dubai.

09:15Then they have very strong spin options.

09:18Then one thing was left,

09:19Virat Kohli,

09:20he also came to the form.

09:21He came to the form

09:22when he went to England,

09:24because he played his last innings.

09:26People will say,

09:27that he only did 50.

09:28No.

09:29The condition in which he did 50,

09:30that as a batter,

09:31challenges you.

09:32You have to be on the top of your technique

09:34to be able to perform there.

09:35It didn't happen that

09:36he went to that condition

09:37and hit a hit.

09:38Like other players,

09:39they get a little cushion,

09:40the ball is swinging,

09:41the seam is there.

09:42No.

09:43He also kept the projected score in control.

09:45He also spent that time.

09:46At the same time,

09:47he did his 60 there.

09:49From there,

09:50he came to the form.

09:51And when we had this clash,

09:53between Pakistan and India,

09:55we had said that

09:56he is in good touch

09:57and you will see in the Champions Trophy.

09:59But we also said

10:00not to go against Pakistan.

10:01My brother,

10:02as soon as he sees Pakistan,

10:03he stands alone

10:04and once again,

10:05he played a match-winning inning.

10:07He cruised the inning.

10:08Alright, Evan.

10:09Thank you so much

10:10for taking our time

10:11speaking to us.

10:12I'll tell you what,

10:13as an Indian,

10:14I want the Indian team to win,

10:15but I also want Pakistan

10:16to be in good shape

10:17because a good,

10:18healthy Pakistan team

10:19is great for international cricket.

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