IND vs PAK: Pakistan hire ‘special coach’ ahead of ICC Champions Trophy 2025 clash against India; Who is he?

Having lost their opener against New Zealand, Pakistan are already facing a do-or-die situation going into the marquee clash against India in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. A slip-up against Rohit Sharma’s men on Sunday in Dubai would mean Mohammad Rizwan’s men exit the tournament in just four days.

With hopes of keeping themselves alive in the race for the semifinal, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hired a ‘special coach’ in former cricketer Mudassar Nazar to prepare the team in knowing the conditions better ahead of the high-octane clash, according to journalist Vimal Kumar.

The 68-year-old was spotted during Pakistan’s training session on Friday evening and spent a fair bit of time with the players. It is to be noted that Pakistan is hosting the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. However, India are playing all their games in Dubai after the BCCI refused to send its team across borders due to security concerns.

Mudassar Nazar, who has served as the head coach of Pakistan previously, addressed the whole team first before putting on the net session.

Why Mudassar Nazar was called?

A former opener himself, Mudassar Nazar knows the conditions in the United Arab Emirates like no other. After his stint as Pakistan head coach, Mudassar Nazar took charge of the Kenyan national team in 2005. In fact, he also served as the interim coach of UAE in 2023.

The former all-rounder also worked as the Director of Pakistan’s National Cricket Academy for a while and served with the ICC’s Global Cricket Academy in Dubai. He had also worked as a national selector for the Emirates Cricket Board. Having spent so much time in the UAE, the PCB felt there could be no one better than Mudassar Nazar.

What happened in Pakistan’s training?

As far as Pakistan’s practice session is concerned, the players were seen practicing aggressive shots with the likes of Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi finding the stands quite often. However, several players struggled in getting their timing right as many balls went straight up in the air for the fielders to catch.

The Pakistan cricketers were also caught struggling during their fielding drills as they dropped uncountable catches. New Zealand and India occupy the top two spots in Group A and a win for Rohit Sharma’s men will seal their spot in the semifinals.