Simon Doull offers assistance to Pakistan to crush India in CT 2025, cites T20 WC 2021 as reminder

The stakes couldn't be higher as Pakistan gears up for their biggest challenge yet in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull urged the Men in Green to deliver their best-ever performance if they hope to beat India on Sunday (February 23).

Memories of Pakistan’s historic T20 World Cup victory over India at the packed Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai—the same venue that will host the high-voltage game on Sunday between the two arch-rivals—and Doull pointed out that this win was one of their rare triumphs in the ICC events.

Pakistan must recreate T20 World Cup 2021 magic against India to keep ICC Champions Trophy 2025 hopes alive

Now, with the Men in Green’s semi-final chances slipping away following their embarrassing 60-run defeat against New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 opener in Karachi, the commentator has emphasized that Pakistan must find a way to defy the odds once again to beat India in Dubai.

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Simon Doull said in a video posted by ICC on Instagram, “Cast your mind back to the T20 World Cup in Dubai, the same venue, where they knocked them off none down. That was one of their very, very few wins over India in an ICC men's event.

They have to summon something; they have to know that if they have a chance to play in a semi-final on their home soil, they have to win; they have to beat India.”

Simon Doull says Pakistan must deliver best-ever performance to beat India

With everything on the line and the pressure immense, the New Zealander asked Pakistan’s senior players, including Babar and Shaheen Afridi, to step up and inspire a collective effort to take them through the high-stakes encounter against the Men in Blue.

The cricket analyst mentioned that India is coming into the game in red-hot form, and they are fully prepared for the high-octane clash, so Pakistan now has the only option to produce a near-flawless display and take this game as the biggest of their lives to keep their Champions Trophy dreams alive.

Doull signed off by saying, “Find a way; you need those senior players around you, Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi; they need to get around them and help them out. They need to go to Dubai as a unit and really, really play, probably the game of their lives if they are to beat India, because India will be very, very tough, and they are going to be up for it. Are Pakistan going to be?"

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Mudassar Nazar Joins Pakistan camp ahead of the big clash

Notably, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has brought in former cricketer Mudassar Nazar as a special coach ahead of the India-Pakistan clash in order to revive their ICC Champions Trophy campaign. With vast experience in UAE conditions, Nazar’s coaching expertise with Pakistan, Kenya, and the ICC’s Global Cricket Academy in Dubai makes him a key asset for the hosts.

The PCB is now counting on Nazar’s tactical insights to help the Men in Green adapt to the tricky Dubai pitch ahead of their must-win clash against India. They will have Imam-ul-Haq as their opener against India after Fakhar Zaman was ruled out of the tournament due to an injury.