Rumman Raees Cites 2017 Champions Trophy Triumph to Counter Aqib Javed’s Claim

 Rumman Raees Cites 2017 Champions Trophy Triumph to Counter Aqib Javed’s Claim

Pakistan’s left-arm fast bowler Rumman Raees has responded to the remarks made by interim head coach Aqib Javed regarding the national team’s lack of experience after their early exit from the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025.

Raees, a key member of Pakistan’s victorious 2017 Champions Trophy squad, took issue with Javed’s criticism of the current team’s inexperience, particularly in light of their disappointing performance in the ongoing tournament.

Ahead of Pakistan’s final group match against Bangladesh, Aqib Javed expressed concerns about the team’s lack of experience and pointed to the omission of young players Sufiyan Muqeem and Muhammad Irfan Khan due to their limited exposure to international cricket.

In response, Raees pointed out that the 2017 squad, which clinched the Champions Trophy title, also featured a mix of inexperienced players. He emphasized that he and Fakhar Zaman both made their international debuts during the tournament.

“It’s not valid to use inexperience as an excuse,” Raees remarked. “I made my ODI debut in the semi-final, and Fakhar Zaman was part of that same team. When you compare the 2017 Champions Trophy team to today’s squad, you’ll see that the current players have had fewer matches under their belts.”

Raees also noted that only a handful of players in the 2017 squad had significant experience. “The only players with significant experience back then were Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Amir, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Junaid Khan,” he explained.

Raees further stressed that building a team around key players is essential, and it is unrealistic to expect every player to have extensive international experience.

“A successful team is always centered around core players; you can’t expect all 11 players to have played 100 ODIs,” Raees concluded.