Aaqib Javed hits back at England’s allegations, credits India's class over conditions for success
Published - 26 Feb 2025, 07:39 PM | Updated - 26 Feb 2025, 11:38 PM
The England cricketers have been crying that Team India is enjoying the rare luxury of playing all the matches in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai due to the BCCI’s concerns over the team’s security in Pakistan.
Recently, Nasser Hussain, Michael Atherton, and Jos Buttler have slammed the ICC for offering a home-like advantage to Team India in the tournament. However, Pakistan’s interim coach and selector, Aaqib Javed, has a different take on the controversy sparked by the former England captains and many fans.
Aaqib Javed shuts down England’s complaints, says India’s success is about skill, not venue
When he was asked about the advantage India has in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Javed made a bold statement about the real reasons behind Pakistan’s defeat against the Men in Blue and its struggles in the tournament.
However, Javed acknowledged that staying in the same hotel, playing on the same pitch, and using the same facilities could benefit the Indian cricket team, but he dismissed the notion that these factors were responsible for Pakistan’s crushing defeat against their arch-rivals in Dubai.
Aaqib Javed said at the pre-match press conference in Rawalpindi, “Look, for some reason, they are sitting in Dubai. So, if for some reason they are only having matches in Dubai, then definitely if you play on one pitch, on one ground, they will have an advantage. But we have not lost the match because they have an advantage of a hotel or an advantage of that pitch. For us, neither was that pitch new, nor did they play 10 matches on that pitch before the India-Pakistan match.”
Team India is strong enough to win anywhere!!
The Pakistan coach mentioned the Indian cricket team’s historic Test series victories in Australia and South Africa—achievements no other Asian team has yet achieved—to prove their dominance in any condition, as he slammed Hussain, Buttler, and Atherton for downplaying their talent and skills.
Aaqib emphasized that the Men in Blue’s dominance in the India-Pakistan clash came down to skill, temperament, and handling pressure better on the big stage. He suggested that the real difference between the two teams wasn’t the venue or facilities but the ability to perform under pressure when it mattered the most.
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The former Pakistani cricketer added, “They won the series in Australia. In South Africa, they did what had never happened before. For any Asian team, the most difficult task is to win a series in Australia or to win a series in South Africa, but India has the honor of doing so.”
Aaqib Javed says Pakistan’s loss wasn’t about venue
He also admitted Team India has far better skilled and talented players than Pakistan, so he is not going to make that advantage an excuse for the team’s defeat. Javed signed off by saying, “In the India-Pakistan match, there is a huge difference in the skills and talents. The way you handle the pressure and give the best shot, that team will win that day. That’s it.”
Notably, the Men in Green have already been eliminated from the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and they will play their final match against Bangladesh on February 27 in Rawalpindi.
