Sarfaraz Ahmed predicts Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finalists

Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has predicted the semifinalists for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is scheduled to take place in Pakistan and the UAE next week.

Despite the competitive nature of the event, the wicket-keeper batter ruled out the likes of England, South Africa and New Zealand, naming Pakistan, India, Australia and Afghanistan as the teams most likely to reach the knockout stage.

"If I had to pick four semi-finalists, I’d probably go for Pakistan, India, Australia and Afghanistan at this stage, but I would not rule anyone out," said Sarfaraz.

The 2017 Champions Trophy-winning captain highlighted the pressure of playing on home soil for Pakistan, acknowledging the high expectations from fans, especially with the team being the defending champions.

"There will be pressure. Pakistan being at home, being the defending champions, there will be high expectations, but the fans will get behind them," he said.

He also expressed particular praise for Afghanistan, a team he believes could be a strong contender in the tournament.

"It is a stacked field, of course, every team can win it. I think Afghanistan have a really strong team, Australia and India as well. Their spin options are so good and you will need that to succeed in these conditions," he said.

With an abundance of spin talent in their squad, Afghanistan could prove to be a formidable opponent, making them one of Sarfaraz’s picks for the semi-finals.

As a key player in Pakistan’s 2017 Champions Trophy triumph, the 37-year-old reflected on the team’s progress and the potential of their current squad.

Despite having just three players remaining from the victorious 2017 squad, he feels optimistic about Pakistan’s chances of retaining the title.

"Pakistan have a really good chance of defending that title and I think they have a strong team. Some of the boys from 2017 are still there and we’re talking about some of the best – especially Babar Azam," he said.

"He is a different Babar to the one that played in 2017, a more mature player and a dominant player in the game. His batting will be so important for Pakistan and so will Fakhar Zaman’s," he added.

The former captain emphasized the importance of Pakistan’s bowling attack, naming Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf as two of the best in the world right now.

Both bowlers have been in sensational form, and their contributions will be crucial for Pakistan’s success in the tournament.

"With the ball, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf are brilliant bowlers and are playing well. The captain, Mohammad Rizwan, is also a wicketkeeper-batter, which worked pretty well for me back in 2017," he said.

As always, the high-octane Pakistan-India encounter will be one of the most anticipated games in the tournament. 

Sarfaraz acknowledged the pressure and hype surrounding the match but stressed the importance of staying calm and playing with the same intensity as any other match.

"Of the pool matches, everyone will be talking about Pakistan’s match against India, and the game will be huge," he said.

"Whenever we meet, it is a special occasion and there is so much hype and pressure around it. But as players, you need to stay calm, try and block that noise out and just play with the same intensity as you would play Australia or any other team."

Reflecting on his first encounter with India in 2017, where Pakistan lost by 124 runs, Sarfaraz recalled how the team’s mindset shifted after the crushing defeat.

"In 2017, we played India in our first match and were soundly beaten by 124 runs. It was my first game as captain and we were poor in all areas. Afterwards, we had a great team meeting, and some of our senior guys – Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez – all said their piece. You need those types of characters around you," he said.

"We changed our mindset from that day. The acrimony was very good for us, we made a couple of changes to the team and it helped our confidence. We beat South Africa and became unstoppable," he added.