''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.'
Champions Trophy 2025 Event Ambassador Sarfaraz Ahmed, who captained Pakistan when it won the Champions Trophy in 2017, wants the Men in Green to play intense but smart cricket against the Men in Blue on February 23 in Dubai.
In 2017, Pakistan beat India by 180 runs to win the Champions Trophy, riding on a scintillating hundred from Fakhar Zaman and a sensational bowling spell from Mohammad Amir.
'Whenever we meet, it is a special occasion and there is so much hype and pressure around it,' Sarfaraz said about India-Pakistan encounters.
'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.'
'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,' Sarfaraz 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.
'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!'
Pakistan begin their Champions Trophy 2025 defence against New Zealand on February 18 in Karachi and then face off against India on February 23 in Dubai.
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