Pakistan Sets Unwanted Record for Slowest Batting in ICC Champions Trophy Opening Match

Pakistan’s national cricket team set an unfortunate record for the slowest batting performance in the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 against New Zealand. The match, played in Karachi, saw Pakistan lose by 60 runs.

After winning the toss, Pakistan’s captain Mohammad Rizwan invited New Zealand to bat first. The Kiwis posted a challenging total of 320 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in their 50 overs. Will Young scored 107 runs, and Tom Latham remained unbeaten with 118 runs, leading New Zealand to a solid total.

In response, Pakistan managed to score only 260 runs in 48 overs, falling short of the 321-run target. Babar Azam contributed 64 runs off 90 balls, while Khushdil Shah made 69 runs off 49 balls.

The match also saw Pakistan record the slowest batting performance, with only 22 runs scored in the first 10 overs of the Powerplay, losing 2 wickets. This is the lowest Powerplay score in a home One-Day International match for Pakistan.

Interestingly, Pakistan’s previous lowest Powerplay score was also against New Zealand in 2018, when they scored just 9 runs in the first 10 overs.

Following the loss, there was significant criticism on social media, particularly aimed at Babar Azam. Fans expressed their frustration over his slow innings, with one user sarcastically posting a meme from a Bollywood film scene to comment on the team’s sluggish batting.

Another user claimed that Babar Azam was playing for his ODI ranking rather than for the country’s win.