Babar Azam skips final practice session before do-or-die IND vs PAK clash in Champions Trophy

by · Inside Sport India

Babar Azam decided to skip an optional practice session ahead of the do-or-die IND vs PAK clash in Champions Trophy

Pakistan cricket team star Babar Azam reportedly skipped the last practice session before the high-octane IND vs PAK clash. The defending champions will take on their arch-rivals in what will be a do-or-die contest for Rizwan and co. in the Champions Trophy 2025. Babar is under fire, this time not for scoring runs, but for scoring them at a very slow pace.

Babar Azam skips training on eve of IND vs PAK tie

As per Express News, Babar decided to skip the training session ahead of IND vs PAK as it was optional. He opted for a rest day as the team only had some catching practice while there were no net sessions. Azam has been under scrutiny for his slow-paced 64-run knock off 90 deliveries in Pakistan’s Champions Trophy opener against New Zealand. The hosts failed to chase down the mammoth 320-run target and eventually lost the game by 60 runs.

Latest news

 Batting first in the contest, the Kiwis were powered to a mammoth 320-run total in the 1st innings. Centurions Will Young (107) and Tom Latham (117) punished the Pakistan bowlers, taking the pacer trio of Shaheen-Naseem-Rauf to the cleaners.

In response, Pakistan played an alarmingly slow-paced innings. Late heroics from Salman Ali Agha and Khushdil Shah couldn’t help Pakistan get past the winning line as they were bowled out for 260 runs. The side is now depending on Babar to fire at the top of the order, having lost both specialist openers Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman. While the former was ruled out before CT 2025, the latter picked up an injury in the 1st game that saw him being ruled out of the remainder of the tourney.

As a result. now the clash against India is a do-or-die for Pakistan in order to keep their hopes of making it to the knockout stages in Champions Trophy alive.