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    ICC Champions Trophy 2017: India vs. Pakistan - Glorious Victory or Painful Misery?

    ICC Champions Trophy 2017, India vs Pakistan Match Preview

    Written by: Mirza Salam Ahmed
    Posted on: June 02, 2017 |

    India vs. Pakistan

    No two teams in the cricketing world are pitted against each other more than India and Pakistan. The ICC itself confesses that when it comes to these two countries, the draws are hardly random. They are designed to ensure that the arch-rivals face each other in tournaments, and the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 is no exception.

    India and Pakistan will lock horns in Birmingham on Sunday, 4th June, 2017 to get crucial points in the tables of the Champions Trophy. The encounter was dubbed the mother of all matches, even before the tournament had officially kicked off.

    Sarfraz Ahmed, captain of the Pakistani team - ICC Champions Trophy 2017, India vs Pakistan Match Preview by a Pakistani Cricket Expert

    Sarfraz Ahmed, captain of the Pakistani team (source: Indian Express)

    Pakistan enters the tournament as an underdog, owing to a lacklustre ODI record since the 2015 World Cup and turbulent performances from pivotal players. As a matter of fact, the Shaheens barely made it to the tournament, having been ranked eighth, slightly ahead of West Indies. However, there is a silver lining to all of this: as skipper Sarfraz Ahmed rightly said, we’ve got "nothing to lose".

    The batting department will be heavily reliant on the form of rising 22-year-old star Babar Azam and all-rounder Shoaib Malik, who is no bunny with the bat and useful with the ball too. Azhar Ali can prove to be an asset if he clicks as well. Pakistan’s bowling department is missing its outrageously mercurial pace attack, but there is still talent in the lineup. All eyes will be on Mohammad Amir to lead the charge, as the pacer returns to England, where he got stuck for spot-fixing seven years ago.

    Mohammad Amir (L), Babar Azam (R) - ICC Champions Trophy 2017, India vs Pakistan Match Preview by a Pakistani Cricket Expert

    Mohammad Amir (L), Babar Azam (R) (sources: DNA India & ESPN Cricinfo)

    The best Pakistan has achieved in the tournament is reaching the semi-finals twice, and in the last edition four years ago in England, the Shaheens lost all of their matches.

    The defending champions, India are hot favourites in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. They traditionally start slow, but are rampantly rampaging towards the end. Their players have been in full action during the tenth season of the Indian Premier League, so expect the Blue Shirts to be in lethal form.

    Indian skipper Virat Kohli - ICC Champions Trophy 2017, India vs Pakistan Match Preview by a Pakistani Cricket Expert

    Indian skipper Virat Kohli (source: India Times)

    Even though Indian batsmen have a poor Test record in England, they survived the scare in 2013 to go on and lift the Champions Trophy. It is more pertinent that India’s batting line-up is largely the same as it was in 2013, and their top three batsmen – Shikar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli – have been in good form ever since. While the Indian bowling line-up can’t boast much firepower, their arsenal of batsmen runs deep and ready to launch balls out of the park.

    Pakistan was hammered by India in 2013, and since then, India has beaten them in all contests to extend their dominance to 11 wins in ICC tournaments. By the looks of it, we may once again have to prepare for painful misery rather than glorious victory, unless ‘The Unpredictables’ can do their magic with the ball and handle the bat properly! 

    Shikhar Dhawan (L), Jasprit Bumrah (R) - ICC Champions Trophy 2017, India vs Pakistan Match Preview by a Pakistani Cricket Expert

    Shikhar Dhawan (L), Jasprit Bumrah (R) (sources: DNA India & TopYaps)

    Pakistan’s squad: Sarfraz Ahmed (capt/wk), Ahmed Shehzad, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Fahim Ashraf, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hafiz, Mohammad Amir, Junaid Khan, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz, Fakhar Zaman

    Predicted starting XI: 1) Azhar Ali, 2) Ahmed Shehzad, 3) Babar Azam, 4) Mohammad Hafeez, 5) Shoaib Malik, 6) Sarfaraz Ahmed (capt/wk), 7) Imad Wasim, 8) Shadab Khan, 9) Mohammad Amir, 10) Hasan Ali, 11) Junaid Khan

    India’s squad: Virat Kohli (capt), Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Shikhar Dhawan, MS Dhoni (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik , Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami, Hardik Pandya, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Yuvraj Singh

    Predicted starting XI: 1) Virat Kohli (capt), 2) Ravichandran Ashwin, 3) Shikhar Dhawan, 4) MS Dhoni (wk), 5) Ravindra Jadeja, 6) Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 7) Mohammad Shami, 8) Hardik Pandya, 9) Ajinkya Rahane, 10) Rohit Sharma, 11) Umesh Yadav


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021