Squad united to bring Champions Trophy home, says Rizwan on tournament's eve

Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan said on Tuesday that the entire squad is united in their goal, to bring the Champions Trophy home, a day before the hosts kick the tournament off against New Zealand.

“It’s not just me and Babar [Azam] who want to win the title; every player in the squad wants this, and so does every Pakistani,” Rizwan told a news conference on the eve of the tournament, which runs until March 9.

The Champions Trophy is the first major cricket event hosted by Pakistan in nearly three decades and is regarded as second only to the World Cup in the one-day game.

Pakistan had been due to host the tournament in 2008 but was thrown into cricketing isolation by a security crisis as violence spilled over from the long-running war in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Gunmen then attacked a bus carrying Sri Lanka's team in Lahore the following year, wounding several players and killing eight policemen and civilians.

However, major teams have toured Pakistan in the past five years as security improved, opening the way for the cricket-mad nation to stage the tournament.

Terming the tournament a "historic occasion" for the country, Rizwan said: "A global event has come to Pakistan after 29 years so I think the whole nation should enjoy this historic occasion."

"Pakistan has suffered enough and for a long time, but we have also won during this phase like the 2017 Champions Trophy and the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup," he said.

Still, the build-up has not been without problems after neighbours and arch-rivals India refused to play in Pakistan over long-standing political tensions. India will instead play their matches in Dubai.

Pakistan's opponents in the tournament opener in Karachi beat them twice this month during a tri-series event that included South Africa.

"There shouldn't be any doubts on our performance," Rizwan said. "We may not have played on our abilities but we all want to win the event for the country and people."

Rizwan hoped to have pace bowler Haris Rauf on the pitch after he suffered chest muscle strain in the match against New Zealand in Lahore last week.

"Haris bowled 80 per cent yesterday and today he is bowling at his full rhythm and told us that he is not feeling any discomfort, so I hope he is fully fit," Rizwan said.