Champions Trophy fever in Pakistan has plummeted after the hosts crashed out of the first major cricket event in the country in three decades without winning a game.

“It feels like attending a wedding where you don’t know the bride or groom,” said Kashan Khan, a medical student who watched Pakistan get beaten by New Zealand by 60 runs in the opening match in Karachi last week.

The defending champions then lost to great rivals India by six wickets to seal their fate, before their dead-rubber last group game against Bangladesh on Thursday was washed out.

“Pakistan’s poor performance has drained my enthusiasm. I don’t care about watching other teams now,” added Khan.

Pakistan’s failure to advance beyond the group phase or even win a game was a huge letdown in a country that has been gradually returning to hosting international teams after years of militancy saw it marked as a no-go zone.

Security in cities has vastly improved in recent years, including in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi, where the matches are being held.

But disheartened fans have begun abandoning the tournament.

Outside Rawalpindi Stadium ticket-holders were seen trying to sell their unwanted seats ahead of Pakistan’s match against Bangladesh, but there were no takers.

“I had three tickets but no one wanted to buy them,” said Farooq Ali. “I even tried giving them away for free, but my friends weren’t interested.”

For many, the final on 9 March holds little appeal, particularly given its location is still undecided.

Arch-rivals India, with which Pakistan has fought several wars, refused to visit its neighbour and are playing all their matches in Dubai.

In painful contrast to Pakistan’s woes, India are into the semi-finals and if they reach the title decider, the final will be moved from Lahore to Dubai.

“If Pakistan isn’t playing in it, why should we care?” asked Amna Mashadi, who watched the tournament on TV.

Pakistan’s latest flop dealt a severe blow not just to supporters, but also to the financial ecosystem surrounding the eight-nation event.

With Pakistan out, TV viewership has nose-dived, advertising revenues have shrunk and sponsors are demanding reductions in their campaign costs.

Pakistan’s stated-owned PTV and Ten Sports bought the joint broadcast shares of the 15 matches, each paying 1.2-billion rupees ($4.25-million).

Sources with knowledge of the broadcast deal told AFP that the two broadcasters have already lost close to 180-million rupees in two rained off matches in Rawalpindi.

Broadcasters are bracing for losses as they search for takers for the usually prime advertising spots in the semi-finals and final.

“Sports advertising is always a gamble,” said a senior employee at a Pakistani company, one of the tournament’s top advertisers.

“Sponsorship deals cover the whole tournament, so pulling out isn’t an option. But when the national team exits early, consumers go away and the sale of the product suffers.”

Shopkeeper Mohammad Rizwan – he coincidentally has the same name as the Pakistan captain – had anticipated selling 60,000 cricket shirts of the home team.

Instead he only sold about a third of that.

“The demand for Pakistan shirts was overwhelming and in the week leading up to the event, I doubled my order,” Rizwan told AFP. “But as soon as the team started losing, the demand plummeted. Now, I have huge unsold stock in my warehouse. It’s a massive loss.”

MORE: What went wrong for Pakistan in Champions Trophy

Renowned TV and film actor Adnan Siddiqui fears that Pakistan’s underwhelming performance might push young fans away from the sport altogether.

“I grew up watching cricket late at night or early in the morning,” Siddiqui told AFP. “But after these defeats, my son has lost interest completely. The real loss here is of the next generation of players and fans.”

Siddiqui flew to watch the India-Pakistan match in Dubai on Sunday and returned heartbroken.

“We used to beat India frequently but now they are well ahead of us in terms of skill and bravery. Our team looked scared.”

Despite the gloom some remain hopeful.

“This is a low point but the sun will rise again,” said Khalil Khan, a club-level cricket coach in Karachi.

“Cricket is the only sport that puts Pakistan on the global map and I’m sure our team will bring joy again in the future.”

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Pakistan’s last Champions Trophy group match with Bangladesh on Thursday was abandoned without a ball being bowled in Rawalpindi because of rain, ensuring the host country’s title defence ended with a wet whimper.

Pakistan, who won the 50-over tournament in 2017, lost to New Zealand and India and finish bottom of Group A.

Their last match had only pride at stake for both teams, with Bangladesh similarly out of the running for the semi-finals.

Pakistan’s failure to advance beyond the group phase or even win a game was a huge letdown for a country hosting its first major tournament in three decades.

Pakistan finished fourth and last with one point in three matches, a position below Bangladesh, who also have one point in as many games but a better net run-rate.

Overnight rain in Rawalpindi continued on and off and despite several inspections by the umpires, no play was possible.

India and New Zealand progressed to the semi-finals from Group A.

In Group B, South Africa, Australia and Afghanistan compete for the other two semi-final spots. England are out of contention.

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The Champions Trophy match between Pakistan and Bangladesh in Rawalpindi was abandoned due to rain without a ball being bowled.

Head coach Aaqib Javed says Pakistan’s hurting players will be motivated by pride in their dead rubber against Bangladesh after the hosts were dumped out of the Champions Trophy in the group stage.

The defending champions’ hopes of reaching the semi-finals were ended after defeats to New Zealand and India, leaving their final Group A game in Rawalpindi inconsequential.

Rain washed out the Australia-South Africa Group B match on Tuesday and more is predicted on Thursday, leaving Pakistan in danger of finishing fourth and last on net run-rate.

Whatever happens it will be a disappointing conclusion to Pakistan’s first hosting of a major international cricket competition in three decades.

“There are no excuses, there shouldn’t be any in life, but I can assure you that the players are more hurt than the fans and want to leave a mark in the last game,” said Aaqib on Wednesday.

“The players are not satisfied, no one is satisfied after losing, but everyone tries hard to win and by doing so we have recently won a series in Australia and South Africa.”

Pakistan beat Australia 2-1 in November – their first ODI series win there for 22 years – before whitewashing South Africa 3-0 in the build-up to the Champions Trophy.

“This is the Champions Trophy, where the eight best teams are playing, so after two defeats we have to start from zero,” said Aaqib. “Every game is played for pride so we want to leave a mark on Thursday.”

Their Champions Trophy flop left former Pakistan players and fans angry over the continuous failure of the team, having also crashed out of the 2023 World Cup and Twenty20 World Cup last year both in the first round.

Aaqib admitted losing to arch-rivals India left fans emotional.

“People are more involved in an India-Pakistan match and they do not accept a defeat against India and that defeat in Dubai has left them more dejected,” said Aaqib.

Pakistan were below par against a formidable India in Dubai on Sunday, losing by six wickets.

“We managed just 241 in batting and when facing a strong batting lineup you attack in order to get wickets and in the process you bowl on both sides,” said Aaqib.

A fast bowler himself, who played 22 Tests and 163 ODIs for Pakistan, Aaqib backed his struggling pace trio.

“People blamed two, three players, which is not correct,” said Aaqib. “If you assess Shaheen [Afridi], Naseem [Shah] and Haris [Rauf], they are still the best bowlers in the world.”

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In cricket-crazed Pakistan’s biggest city, cafe owner Moiz Umer said customers asked him Sunday to change the TV channel to “avoid the humiliation” of witnessing their Champions Trophy defeat to arch-rivals India.

“For large parts of the Indian innings, a good number of people turned their backs to the match – facing their friends instead of the screen, such was the disappointment,” said the 45-year-old in the city of Karachi.

Fans that didn’t look away watched India outclass Pakistan with a convincing six-wicket victory, chasing down 242 with 45 balls to spare and pushing the hosts to the verge of elimination after just two matches.

HIGHLIGHTS: Pakistan vs India (Champions Trophy)

Pakistan is staging a major international tournament for the first time in nearly three decades but India refused to visit – citing security concerns and political tensions – meaning the teams faced each other in Dubai.

The return of international play has been a huge source of national pride but Pakistan fans at home suffered the double heartbreak on Sunday of watching their team falter from a distance.

“It was such a big match and we went down with a whimper,” said 42-year-old Zain Mursaleen, among around a hundred spectators with a deflated mood who had gathered to watch the match in Karachi. “We love to see good cricket and Pakistan failed to produce that – again.”

The eight-team tournament only began on Wednesday. But Pakistan also lost their opening game, meaning their fate hangs on the outcome of a match between New Zealand and Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on Monday.

In the garrison city adjacent to the capital Islamabad, the atmosphere was sombre from the outset before India’s star batsman Virat Kohli struck an unbeaten 100.

“They came to the game with a loser’s mindset and never attempted to attack,” said 53-year-old chef Rasheed Saleem. “I doubt they even realise how disheartening it is for fans to see them go down like this.”

Saad Murtaza, a 29-year-old software engineer, said he began watching with “low expectations” but was still left disappointed.

“I thought they might surprise us, as it was more than just a game. Unfortunately, they failed to do so,” he said. “They lack both the intent and the skills. I wasted my entire day watching this pathetic display of a game.”

The nuclear-armed neighbours have fought three wars since being carved out of the subcontinent’s partition in 1947, fomenting a feud that often plays out on the field.

Cricket is by far the most popular sport in both countries, which have a combined population of more than 1.6 billion – making matches some of the most-viewed sporting events in the world.

Deteriorating ties have meant Pakistan and India have not played a bilateral cricket series for over a decade – facing each other only in tournament matches staged in third countries.

Despite the bitter diplomatic rhetoric, numerous Pakistan fans have told AFP they would have relished the chance to host India’s team and their spectators.

But some commentators on Sunday were declaring the rivalry now over after a dire run of Pakistani performances.

“One is forced to conclude that this is not a rivalry anymore as India has dominated Pakistan, especially in the one-day internationals,” cricket journalist and former PCB spokesman Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi told AFP.

The English-language Dawn newspaper had a more pessimistic prognosis, suggesting Pakistan’s issues are more wide-reaching.

“The loss has once again put the spotlight on the massive gulf of quality between Pakistan and other teams in terms of technique, game awareness, fitness and pressure handling,” wrote sports correspondent Mir Shabbar Ali.

Back in Karachi, Umer the cafe owner offered a more blunt post-match analysis.

“Supporting the Pakistan cricket team has always been a turbulent affair,” he said. “While they have been consistently poor of late, there is always hope that they will surprise everyone – they did this time too, but with how bad they were.”

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Kuldeep Yadav took 3-40 as India thrashed fierce rivals Pakistan in the Champions Trophy.

Photo: Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via Getty Images

Virat Kohli struck an unbeaten 100 to lead India to a six-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan and push the title holders to the brink of elimination from the Champions Trophy.

Chasing 242 for victory, Kohli hit a four to seal the match with 45 balls to spare and register his 51st ODI ton after an innings which also saw him pass 14,000 runs in ODI cricket.

The 36-year-old removed his helmet and raised his bat to the Dubai International Stadium crowd after taking India closer to the semi-finals with two wins in two outings in Group A.

Pakistan have lost both their matches and will need Bangladesh to beat New Zealand on Monday to have any chance of staying in contention for a last-four spot.

The top two teams from the two groups will make the semi-finals.

“My job was clear, to control the middle overs, not take risks against the spinners and take on the pacers,” said Kohli. “I was happy with the template, it’s how I play in ODIs. I have a decent understanding of my game.

“It’s about keeping the outside noise away, take care of my energy levels and thoughts. It’s easy for me to get pulled into expectations and frenzy around games like these.”

HIGHLIGHTS: Pakistan vs India (Champions Trophy)

Favourites India remained clinical in their chase despite losing captain Rohit Sharma for 20 off Shaheen Shah Afridi.

In-form Shubman Gill, who made 46 after his century in the opening win over Bangladesh, put on 69 runs with Kohli.

Kohli started cautiously but reached 14,000 ODI runs with a trademark punch through cover off Haris Rauf.

He is just the third man to break the 14,000-run barrier after India icon Sachin Tendulkar (18,426) and Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara (14,234)

Kohli raised his fifty with a boundary off Naseem Shah to loud cheers from the crowd.

His hundred came in 111 balls, a knock that rolled back the years for the veteran who has 82 centuries across all formats but whose previous ODI ton came in the 2023 World Cup semi-final.

Kohli and Shreyas Iyer, who made 56, put the chase back on track with a stand of 114 after Gill’s departure when leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed bowled the opener.

India bowled out Pakistan for 241 in 49.4 overs as left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav returned figures of 3-40.

Pakistan elected to bat first on what seemed a sluggish pitch but a slow approach from the batsman rarely threatened the Indian attack despite a 104-run partnership between Saud Shakeel (62) and Mohammad Rizwan (46).

Khushdil Shah’s late cameo of 38 added some runs to the total before the innings folded with his wicket.

The Pakistan openers began cautiously despite a wayward start by Indian pace spearhead Mohammed Shami who bowled five wides in an 11-ball first over.

Shami, who returned figures of 5-53 in the win over Bangladesh, seemed to struggle with his ankle in his third over and left the field, returning soon after to India’s great relief.

Babar Azam scored 23 and fellow opener Imam-ul-Haq was run out on 10 before Shakeel and Rizwan got their heads down as Pakistan managed just one boundary in nearly 10 overs.

“When Saud and I were batting, we wanted to go deep. But our shot selection was bad and we lost wickets, which is why we were kept to 240,” said Rizwan.

A full house was expected at the venue but there were empty seats on view during the match.

Pakistan next face Bangladesh on Thursday in Rawalpindi while India take on New Zealand in Dubai on 2 March.

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Virat Kohli scored 100* as India cruised to a six-wicket win against Pakistan in Dubai.

Pakistan face arch-rivals India in a Champions Trophy blockbuster on Sunday as they look to get their campaign back on track in front of a sell-out crowd in Dubai.

The neighbours only meet in ICC events because of political tensions and the match is taking place in Dubai after India refused to travel to tournament hosts Pakistan.

In front of what is expected to be a full house at the 25,000-capacity Dubai International Stadium, and with hundreds of millions more watching glued to their televisions, Pakistan are under pressure.

Mohammad Rizwan’s side were well beaten by New Zealand by 60 runs in the opening game of the competition in Karachi and realistically need to beat favourites India to stay in the hunt for a semi-final spot in the eight-nation tournament.

New Zealand top Group A ahead of India – who beat Bangladesh on Thursday by six wickets – on a better run-rate. Pakistan are fourth and bottom of the group.

The top two teams from each of the two groups make the semi-finals.

“After losing a game there is another good chance for you to win and win the third one and make it to the semis,” Pakistan coach Aaqib Javed told reporters on Saturday.

“Between India and Pakistan it doesn’t matter, it’s a knockout or whatever. It’s beyond a game and that’s the beauty of India-Pakistan cricket.”

He added: “And if you look at the positives, I think that is the best time and best chance for any individual or a team to make a mark. We used to love it and all the players are waiting for the opportunity to rise above the bar.”

Pakistan suffered a big blow in the loss on Wednesday when top batsman Fakhar Zaman suffered a muscle injury. He has been ruled out of the tournament, but Aaqib said they will still field a “good, strong team”.

Imam-ul-Haq has come in as a replacement for a team that hammered India in the final of the previous Champions Trophy in 2017.

That was India’s last defeat to Pakistan in an ODI match and Rohit Sharma’s men have since won five of the last six games against their greatest rivals, with one rained off.

They last met at the 2023 ODI World Cup in Ahmedabad, with hosts India winning by seven wickets.

Another loss and an early exit for the hosts would take the gloss off the tournament, Pakistan’s first ICC event since co-hosting the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.

In contrast, India lived up to their favourites tag against Bangladesh, chasing down a tricky 229 with 21 balls to spare in Dubai.

In-form Shubman Gill hit an unbeaten 101 for his second successive century after pace spearhead Mohammed Shami returned figures of 5-53.

Victory for India would put them on the cusp of the last four, but vice-captain Gill warned his team of complacency.

“Definitely we have been playing some good ODI cricket and Pakistan unfortunately have lost some of the matches that they have played recently but by no means are we going to take them as a lesser side,” said Gill. “I think they have got a good side and it is important for us to bring our A-game tomorrow.”

GILL: Pakistan clash just another game for India

Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan have fought three wars since being carved out of the subcontinent’s partition in 1947 and that rivalry is often reflected on the cricket field.

Deteriorating political ties have meant the bitter rivals have not played a bilateral cricket series for over a decade.

India last visited Pakistan in 2008, for the Asia Cup.

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Photo: Alex Davidson/ICC

India vice-captain Shubman Gill says the eagerly-awaited match against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy is a fan favourite, but for his team it’s business as usual.

The arch-rivals face off in Dubai on Sunday with the blockbuster clash expected to draw a packed house as the two teams only meet in ICC events due to political tensions.

India had refused to travel to host country Pakistan for the 50-over tournament and instead will play all their matches at the 25,000-capacity Dubai International Stadium.

Gill led India to victory against Bangladesh in their opening game, scoring an unbeaten 101 at the top of the order, and he said the team will try to keep up their winning habit.

“It doesn’t change anything for us honestly,” Gill said of taking on Pakistan. “We play every match to win and this is no different for us and this is how we prepare for any match that we play. So that’s how we are going to prepare for this one as well.”

TV ratings soar when the Asian giants clash on the cricket field as millions tune into watch the match, which gives huge revenue to broadcasters.

Streets are deserted in India and Pakistan when the two play each other and Gill said he cannot deny the excitement among the fans.

“There is a long history of India-Pakistan and it’s a very exciting contest when both the teams play,” said Gill. “Everyone enjoys watching it. If so many people are getting happiness in watching this match then who are we to say under-hype or over-hype?”

He added: “We go out to play cricket. We try our best to represent our country and try our best to win.”

The rivals last met at the 2023 ODI World Cup in Ahmedabad, with hosts India winning by seven wickets.

India know a victory will put them in sight of the semi-finals, while Pakistan are playing for survival in the tournament after their loss to New Zealand in the opener.

New Zealand top Group A ahead of India on a better run-rate. Pakistan are fourth and bottom of the group.

The top two teams from each of the two groups make the semi-finals.

When pressed further about the enormity of the game, Gill said: “I think it is a big match. But I think the biggest match will obviously be the finals that the team plays. And definitely, we have been playing some good ODI cricket.”

Gill said Pakistan remain a dangerous side despite some poor results.

“Pakistan, unfortunately, have lost some matches recently. But by no means, I think we are going to take them as a lesser side. I think they have got a good side and it is important for us to bring our A-game tomorrow.”

MORE: Five controversial India-Pakistan ODI moments

Gill has been in the form of his life in the 50-over format and on Thursday hit his second successive ODI century after he played a key role in India’s recent 3-0 sweep of England.

Back-up wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant did not practise on the eve of the match with Pakistan and Gill said he is down with “viral fever”.

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