Rawalpindi [Pakistan], February 26 : Pakistan's interim head coach, Aaqib Javed, assured that the management will take steps in the best interest of the national team following their surprise early exit from the ongoing Champions Trophy.
Backed as one of the hot favourites, the defending champions, Pakistan, crashed out of the Champions Trophy after surrendering two defeats on the trot. Pakistan's dreadful run started with an imposing six-wicket defeat against New Zealand in the tournament opener. It continued with a six-wicket hammering at the hands of arch-rival India in Dubai.
A major cricket tournament returned to Pakistan for the first time in 29 years, but the hosts' journey will end on Thursday against Bangladesh in the group stage.
Even before Pakistan began its title defence, the Men in Green were surrounded by questions and criticism over the team selection, especially the inclusion of Faheem Ashraf and Khushdil Shah from fans and former cricketers.
Ahead of their final group stage match in Rawalpindi, Aaqib rejected the notion that players were selected without merit. He shed light on the "belief" behind the selection and claimed the players selected made the "best possible" team they could have had.
"Not a single player in the squad was included without performance. We cannot simply replace the entire team with the Under-19 squad just because we lost," Aaqib told reporters in a press conference, as quoted from Geo News.
"You can never be fully satisfied, but this was the best possible team we had. The belief behind the selection was to create the strongest squad," he added.
Aaqib addressed Pakistan's shambolic performances in the tournament and claimed that decisions in the future must be made in the "best interest" of the team.
"The selection committee's job is to field the best players. Moving forward, we will make decisions in the best interest of the team. Our focus remains on preparing for the next match".
After living through a nightmare against New Zealand, Pakistan's title defence became more intricate. The hosts had to outwit their bitter rival, India, a team that had always held the upper hand over them.
Despite winning the crucial toss, Pakistan's blueprint to bat first and put runs on the board was spoiled by the Indian spinners. After limping to 241, 'Chase Master' Virat Kohli entertained the crowd with one of his special batting masterclass. He orchestrated a flawless route to steer India to a six-wicket win.
According to Aaqib, India's experience against Pakistan played a decisive role in the do-or-die clash for the defending champions.
"The Indian team was highly experienced. When defending 240 runs, taking wickets and attacking are crucial. Planning is not limited to just playing against India; it applies to every match," he remarked.