Ponting discusses the main reasons Pakistan lost the Champions Trophy.

Australian cricketing great Ricky Ponting has pinpointed key factors behind Pakistan’s early exit from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, highlighting tactical missteps and underutilization of key players. Despite hosting the tournament and entering as defending champions, Pakistan became the first team eliminated after back-to-back defeats—first against New Zealand in the opener, followed by a crushing loss to arch-rivals India on February 23 in Dubai. Speaking on The ICC Review, Ponting questioned whether Pakistan was maximizing the potential of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, suggesting the team’s strategy failed to capitalize on its biggest assets. “They haven’t been able to give their best to the team. Those two guys had to step up and score big runs,” Ponting said.