Champions Trophy 2025: A Roller Coaster for Pakistani Fans

A Nation’s Excitement

As soon as 2025 began, the entire Pakistani nation was over the moon, especially cricket fanatics. Why not? This year, Pakistan was set to host the ICC Champions Trophy. And in Pakistan, you can't throw a stone without hitting a cricket lover, whether in cities, towns, or even tiny villages. What made it even more special was that this was the First ICC event in Pakistan since the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team. The thought of finally getting to watch live matches, cheer for our team, and wave the green flag in our own stadiums was enough to give us goosebumps.

Convincing the ICC

Our cricket board probably had to give ICC a PowerPoint presentation, motivational speeches, and a security plan thicker than a dictionary to prove that Pakistan is now a safe country. The whole nation collectively wished for the event to be held here so we could finally have a taste of international cricket at home. We were ready to welcome everyone with open arms and, of course, biryani!

Oh No, Not India Again!

Just when it seemed all set, a new drama started, and of course, it came from our neighbor, India. Their cricket board outright refused to send their players to Pakistan, citing that their players' lives were too precious to risk. I mean, we sent our team to India for the 2023 World Cup despite all risks because, apparently, our players’ lives aren’t as precious (lol). Or maybe they thought our players didn’t even have “lives” because, honestly, sometimes it felt like they couldn’t hit a six even if their lives depended on it. Jay Shah, the BCCI chairman, crushed our dreams by saying India would never play in Pakistan. Fine then! They arranged their matches in Dubai, and we moved on. (Kinda... not really.)

Dreaming of Lifting the Trophy

We were so optimistic that we had already started dreaming of winning the trophy. Because, let's face it, we all believe in the age-old saying, “Even a cat is a lion in its own home.” So, of course, we thought we’d win. Our confidence was sky-high, but our team probably thought, “Nah, why let them be happy? We're Pakistani. If the trophy is right in front of us, we won’t have the courage to pick it up. But if it’s on a mountain top, we’ll climb through thorns to get it. Because we love challenges, even when there’s no need.” (Haha!)

Pakistan vs. New Zealand: Ouch!

Then came the first match against New Zealand. We sat in front of the TV, hearts full of hope, thinking, “It’s only New Zealand. Who are they, anyway? They’re not Australia, right?” Our record against them wasn't bad, so we had high hopes. But as the match unfolded, it seemed like all the PCB’s efforts had gone into building new stadiums while nobody cared whether our players still had the strength to hit a ball. In the end, we were left fuming, giving our team “sweet” nicknames and storming away from the TV.

The Big One: Pakistan vs. India

After the disappointment, we started the countdown to the big match on February 23rd: Pakistan vs. India. After losing to New Zealand at home, expecting a win against India in Dubai was like expecting mangoes from a cactus. But we are Pakistanis! We sat there with full belief that maybe a miracle would happen. Maybe our players would suddenly turn into superheroes, hit boundaries, and catch every ball. Maybe our bowlers would finally find their line and length. It’s not wrong to dream, right? And boy, did we dream! But dreams shattered as Virat Kohli showed no mercy. I mean, come on, Kohli! Did you have to score a century against us? You could’ve shown a little neighborly love!

Clinging to Tournament Hopes

After this, we did what every Pakistani cricket fan does best: Calculate complex scenarios to keep our team in the tournament. “If Team A loses to Team B by 127 runs, and Team C scores 22.5 per over, then maybe, just maybe, our team can stay in the competition.” The only real chance we had was if the entire New Zealand team decided to collectively take up knitting and retire from cricket. (Sigh, our tiny dreams...)

The Simpsons Prediction

We even heard a rumor that The Simpsons had predicted Pakistan would win the Champions Trophy. Since their predictions have been eerily accurate, like with Trump becoming president, we thought maybe this time too! But no, we are Pakistanis. We even managed to prove The Simpsons wrong. Maybe it was a warning to them never to predict anything about us again. We didn't just lose the trophy; we couldn’t even win a single match!

The Last Stand: Pakistan vs. Bangladesh

The final match was against Bangladesh, a.k.a. our “brothers.” This match was like a family feud, where the loser would be completely whitewashed and the winner would at least get a consolation win. My humble advice to our team was, “Look, just lose this match as a sign of hospitality. If nothing else, you’ll at least get some blessings.” (Haha!) I was even supporting Bangladesh because, at least, their players can hit a boundary within the first 15 overs. Meanwhile, our team starts scoring boundaries only after the 20th over, and usually, by the 40th over, they are all back in the pavilion. But fate decided to keep us hanging, and rain delayed the match, which eventually ended in a tie (because of the weather).

We Still Love You!

No matter what, we still say, “Whether you win or lose, we love you!” It’s just a bit of sadness, nothing we can’t handle. After all, we are Pakistanis, and if there’s one thing we excel at, it’s enduring disappointments. When the next ICC event comes around, we will support our team with the same passion. After all, who else do we have? The team actually did us a favor by getting knocked out early. Imagine if they had reached the semifinals or finals during Ramadan. They would’ve lost, we would’ve gotten angry, and then our fasting would’ve turned into a grumpy mess. So maybe they thought, “We’ll take your curses now, but we won’t be responsible for ruining your fasts.” (Such a big favor!)

In Conclusion

In the end, while our hearts were broken, our sense of humor remained intact. We look forward to the future with hope and love for our green shirts. After all, what's a Pakistani cricket fan without a heart full of hope and a life full of humor?