Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wants the national team to not only win the Champions Trophy, slated to begin on February 19 to also to beat arch-rivals India on February 23. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the newly renovated Gaddafi Stadium, Sharif noted that Pakistan have a very good side and added that the team has done well lately and expects them to carry on with the momentum in the marquee tournament.
“We have a very good side and they have done well in recent times but the real task now is to not only win the Champions Trophy but also defeat our arch-rival, India in the upcoming match in Dubai. The entire nation stands behind them,” Sharif said.
Dubai International Stadium will host the prestige fight as India refrained from travelling to Pakistan for the tournament. The Rohit Sharma-led side will play all their matches in the same stadium, including the semi-final and final, which is subject to their qualification. Meanwhile, Pakistan are excited to host the remainder of the tournament in the country. They will be hosting an ICC tournament for the first time in 29 years and speaking on the same, Sharif noted that he has full confidence that the team will host it successfully.
“It is a big occasion for Pakistan that we are hosting a big ICC event after nearly 29 years. I have full confidence that our team will continue to make the nation proud in the upcoming Champions Trophy,” the PM added.
Meanwhile, Pakistan will also host a tri-series featuring New Zealand and South Africa ahead of the Champions Trophy. The Gaddafi Stadium and the National Stadium in Karachi will be tested during the series. Pakistan failed to complete the stadium work in the allotted time, and that also created some controversy but the work was eventually done before the commencement of the tri-series.