What did Sana Mir say on Pakistan’s early exit from Champions Trophy?

Pakistan is currently hosting the ongoing edition of the Champions Trophy, with UAE acting as a co-host as all the matches played by team India are being played in Dubai.

In a major setback, the hosts Pakistan are the first team to pack their bags as they will not proceed further in the tournament apart from the league stages. Their back-to-back defeats against New Zealand followed by India have put curtains on their campaign in the tournament.

The Mohammad Rizwan-led side entered the tournament as the defending champions, defeating India in the final in 2017, the last time the tournament was held. Pakistan managed to pull off one of the worst title defences in any ICC tournament by becoming the first team to officially get knocked out in the next edition of the tournament.

The 39-year-old bowling all-rounder and former Pakistan women’s team skipper Sana Mir, a veteran of over 300 white-ball games for Pakistan, has voiced strong criticism of the national men’s team following their early exit from the Champions Trophy. Her comments underscored the team’s struggles, which she believes were predetermined by questionable selection decisions rather than any lack of leadership or talent.

Sana Mir was one of the key contributors to Pakistan’s success during her days representing Pakistan at the international level. She made her international debut on 28th December 2005 in an ODI against Sri Lanka, in Karachi. She picked up 151 wickets at an average of 24.27 and an economy of 3.70 in 118 innings. Her tally of wickets included as many as seven four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul on 9th October 2010 against the Netherlands when she returned with impressive match figures (9-0-32-5) in her spell at Potchefstroom. Besides her exploits with the ball, she also scored 1,630 runs at a strike rate of 43.23 in 110 innings. Her tally of runs included three half-centuries for her side in the ODI format.

She made her T20I debut on 25th May 2009 against Ireland. She struck 89 wickets at an average of 23.42 and an economy of 5.51 in 105 innings with the ball for her side in the format. Her tally of wickets includes four four-wicket hauls with her best performance for Pakistan in the format coming on 28th May 2009, against Ireland, when she returned with sensational match figures of 4-0-13-4 in Dublin. Besides her contributions with the ball, she also scored 802 runs in 81 innings with the bat for her side in the T20I format.

Sana Mir lamented that the selection committee failed to recognise the home conditions on offer while also not accounting for the fact that the Men in Green will at least play one game in Dubai, which is against India led by skipper Rohit Sharma. The selectors inexplicably opted for two part-time spinners, including Abrar Ahmed, who is relatively new to ODI cricket.

Additionally, Mir highlighted the omission of key players who had performed well in recent series against Australia and South Africa. Players like Irfan Khan Niazi, known for his fielding prowess and powerful hitting in both T20I and ODI formats, were notably absent. Mir believes these omissions sealed the team’s fate from the outset.

Mir’s observation was stark, even the most celebrated captains like Mahendra Singh Dhoni or Younis Khan wouldn’t have changed the team’s fate. The root of the problem, according to Mir, lies in the selection process. “The 15 that have been selected, even if you make MS Dhoni or Younis Khan captain, nobody can do anything to the team because it has not been selected on the basis of the playing conditions,” she noted during an appearance on ‘Game On Hai’.

The Mohammad Rizwan-led Pakistan will end their campaign in the ongoing edition of the Champions Trophy with their last league game against Bangladesh on 27th February 2025 (Thursday) at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, in Rawalpindi from 2:30 PM IST.

Mir’s critique serves as a reminder of the importance of contextually informed team selection. It emphasizes that even with the most skilled players or leadership, success can be elusive if selections do not align with the specific demands of the conditions on offer. For Pakistan to regroup and strengthen their cricket, a more nuanced approach to team selection seems imperative.

Mir’s observations highlight the need for a deeper analysis of the selection committee’s decisions and how they directly impact game outcomes in high-stakes tournaments like the Champions Trophy. Her insights underscore the complexities between strategy, player selection, and leadership in achieving success on the international stage.

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