ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Moin Khan orders Babar Azam & Co. to avoid friendliness with India and stay hostile

Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Moin Khan has asked his nation's cricketers not to get over-friendly with the Indian players on the field. Moin feels that such a kind of gesture can be looked at as a "sign of weakness" which can result in them coming under pressure.

India and Pakistan will be up against each other in a high-voltage clash of the Champions Trophy on February 23 in Dubai. It can emerge as the biggest game of the tournament and is expected to be closely fought between these two fiercest rivals.

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Moin Khan advises Pakistani players not to get friendly with Indian players

During a podcast with actor Ushna Shah, Moin Khan was asked about the big game between India and Pakistan in the upcoming Champions Trophy and how Pakistan can overcome India's challenge.

Moin was clearly unhappy with the way Pakistani players have been friendly with the Indian players on the field in the last few years. He feels that the players must have certain boundaries when playing with their counterparts and should sway away from being friendly.

“I just don’t get it when I watch Pakistan and India matches these days, as Indian players come into the crease our players check their bats, pat them, have a friendly talk,” said Moin Khan.

“Nowadays, our players’ behaviour when playing against India is unfathomable to me. Even off the field as professionals, you have to have certain boundaries,” he added.

Indian and Pakistani players share a good bond with each other as both the teams' players have been seen greeting each other quite open-heartedly in the last few years. While both countries have been at loggerheads with each other politically, the players share a good camaraderie on the field.

Being friendly is a sign of weakness - Moin Khan

The former Pakistan captain further reminded his country's players about the advice he received from his seniors not to get friendly and concentrate on the job at hand. He insisted that being friendly can be a sign of weakness and they can come under pressure.

“Our seniors always told us that when playing against India give no quarter and no need to even talk to them on the field. When you get friendly, they see it as a sign of weakness,” Moin Khan noted.

“I think our players don’t understand this but being too friendly is seen as a sign of weakness on the field and you automatically come under pressure in your performances,” he asserted.

India vs Pakistan Head-to-Head in Champions Trophy

While Pakistan have been unable to beat India in a World Cup game so far, the Men in Green have a better record over their opponents in the history of the Champions Trophy. Both teams have played five matches in the tournament's history and Pakistan have won three out of them.

Pakistan defeated India in the most recent match between these two teams in the Champions Trophy played in the final of the 2017 edition. Pakistan won that game by thrashing India by 180 runs to lift the title.