Ponting questions Pakistan’s utilisation of key players

Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting has identified key reasons behind Pakistan’s early exit from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, pointing to tactical blunders and the underutilisation of star players.

Despite hosting the tournament as defending champions, Pakistan became the first team eliminated following back-to-back defeats—first against New Zealand in the opener, and then a humiliating loss to arch-rivals India on February 23 in Dubai.

Speaking on The ICC Review, Ponting questioned whether Pakistan was effectively utilising Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, suggesting the team failed to maximise its key assets, leading to its disastrous campaign.

“They haven’t been able to give their best to the team. Those two guys had to step up and score big runs,” Ponting said.

“And they haven’t been able to do it in the first couple of games, which might be the reason why Pakistan didn’t make it to the semi-finals,” he added.

The former batting maestro also praised Indian star Virat Kohli for delivering in high-pressure matches.

“I’ve always said big games require big players. You need your stars to rise to the occasion, and there’s no bigger game for India than one against Pakistan,” he remarked.

“Your reputation is built on how you perform in the biggest contests on the international stage. So it’s no surprise to me that Kohli stepped up,” he concluded.

For the unversed, Pakistan officially became the first team, alongside Bangladesh, to be eliminated from the ongoing tournament.

The tournament will continue until March 9.

The Green Shirts, who clinched the prestigious title in 2017 under Sarfaraz Ahmed’s leadership, began their title defense against New Zealand but struggled to make an impact in the tournament.