PCB ordered to appoint Sarfaraz Ahmed as ‘mentor’ to crush India

Champions Trophy 2025 is just a month away and teams have started preparing their respective squads for the ICC tournament. While all the teams have officially announced their squads, India and Pakistan are yet to do so.

According to reports, Pakistan have submitted their preliminary list of players but will reduce the squad to 15 players on February 10. The Men in Green have opted for a young squad and lack the experience of veteran wicketkeeper Sarfaraz. Ahmed in it.

However, former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has a new role for Sarfaraz Ahmed in the upcoming Champions Trophy. Basit wants Sarfaraz Ahmed to be appointed as a mentor and has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board to take action soon.

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Simple Ali has a new role for Sarfaraz Ahmed

While speaking on his YouTube channel, Basit Ali asked the PCB to learn from the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and appoint a mentor for the Champions Trophy. He named Sarfaraz Ahmed for the role as he has the experience of beating India in the Champions Trophy 2017 final.

“Afghanistan named the great Younis Khan as their mentor, who is a good choice. The people of Pakistan must be sleeping, so is the board. They need a mentor against India, someone who has won you the Champions Trophy last time: Sarfaraz Ahmed,” said Basit.

“In this match, Sarfaraz’s suggestions will work. He has the experience of lifting the trophy against them. I will not take anyone else’s name. He led the team to victory,” he added.

Under the leadership of Sarfaraz Ahmed, Pakistan won the Champions Trophy 2017 after defeating India in the final. The Men in Green reached the final as underdogs but stunned India on the historic occasion.

Afghanistan ropes in Younis Khan as mentor

The ACB recently appointed legendary Pakistani batsman Younis Khan as Afghanistan’s mentor for the upcoming Champions Trophy to help the team get used to the local conditions. The ACB has previously chosen players from the host countries as mentors for specific ICC tournaments.

In the 2023 ODI World Cup held in India, Ajay Jadeja was his mentor as Afghanistan registered historic wins over Pakistan and England in the tournament. Jadeja’s experience with the local conditions helped the team get used to it.

In the T20 World Cup 2024, Afghanistan had Dwayne Bravo as their mentor as the tournament was held in the West Indies. Afghanistan reached the semi-finals of the tournament in their best ever result at a senior ICC event.

2025 Champions Trophy Calendar

The Champions Trophy 2025 will be played from February 19 to March 9. The big match between India and Pakistan will be played on February 23 in Dubai. India and Pakistan are in Group A alongside Bangladesh and New Zealand.

The other group includes England, Australia, South Africa and Afghanistan. The tournament will begin with hosts Pakistan taking on New Zealand on February 19 in Karachi. India’s first match will be against Bangladesh on February 20.