‘Focus on playing cricket…’: Ex-Pakistan star sends stern message amid Champions Trophy jersey row

Former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif has urged the team to play an attacking brand of cricket ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy which is set to commence from February 19. The Men in Green will enter the tournament as the defending champions having defeated India in the final in the last edition of the event held in 2017.

The Champions Trophy will be played in hybrid mode with every team except India playing their matches in Pakistan. On the other hand, the Men in Blue will be playing their share of matches in Dubai.

Add Cricket Country as a Preferred Source

Latif believes that Pakistan should focus on their cricket rather than thinking about India not travelling to the country for the tournament.

“These are exciting times for a cricket-crazy nation. The world’s top teams will be participating in this mega event,” Latif told Pakistan English Daily Dawn.

“I commend the efforts of the Pakistan government and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for their relentless lobbying with the International Cricket Council (ICC), ensuring that Pakistan gets the opportunity to host this tournament. India will play their matches in the UAE, and that is their business; Pakistan should focus solely on playing attacking cricket,” Latif added.

Pakistan will begin their title defense against New Zealand on February 19 while India’s first fixture of the tournament will be against Bangladesh the next day.