Champions Trophy only tournament which Pakistan has never won: Afridi
Afridi said Champions Trophy was a tough and challenging tournament for the players.
ISLAMABAD (APP): Former Twenty20 Skipper Shahid Afridi sees International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Champions Trophy as only major tournament which Pakistan has never won.
With 100 days to go before the first ball is bowled in the eighth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy, Afridi who attended the launch ceremony held in the ICC headquarters at the ICC Academy on Tuesday, said Champions Trophy was an event which gave me and millions of Pakistan cricket supporters mixed feelings, said a press release issued here.
“It is the only ICC major tournament Pakistan has never won, but at the same time it is the only ICC event in which Pakistan has beaten India,” he said.
He said Champions Trophy was a tough and challenging tournament for the players. “The tournament in June will be no different and will probably be one of the most open events in recent times. It will not be prudent to predict a winner, as, at least, five of the eight sides, I think, have an outstanding chance to lift the trophy on June 18.”
“By taking the trophy on a global tour, they are enabling fans to connect with the event regardless of where they live and hopefully build a new generation of cricket fans,” he said.
During its global tour, the ICC Champions Trophy would visit 19 cities across all eight competing nations, allowing fans to get a close-up view of the prestigious silverware.
The trophy’s journey will start on Thursday, March 2, when it will depart for India, and after travelling through Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, it will arrive in the United Kingdom on May 2, where the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 will be staged from June 1 to 18.
There the ICC Champions Trophy will be joined by the ICC Women’s World Cup on the domestic trophy tour to kick off a summer of cricket in the UK as it tours the cities playing host to the tournaments.
ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said the global trophy tour is the start of what will be a fantastic summer of cricket celebration in the UK with two major back-to-back events the Champions Trophy followed by the ICC Women’s World Cup.
