Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan said on Tuesday that the Green Shirts needed to improve their performance with awareness and professionalism if they were to tackle the ups and downs they experienced during ICC events.

His comments come a day before the commencement of the Champions Trophy tournament, which features the sport’s top eight sides in the ODI format, with the hosts up against New Zealand in Karachi.

The tournament marks the first ICC tournament on Pakistan soil since it co-hosted the 1996 ODI World Cup. Pakistan won their last ICC event when they defeated India in the Champions Trophy final in 2017.

Since then, Pakistan have managed to reach the T20 World Cup semi-final in 2021 and the tournament’s final in the following year’s edition. Other than that, the Green Shirts have unceremoniously exited every other ICC event in the group stages.

“A global event has come to Pakistan after 29 years so I think the whole nation should enjoy this historic occasion,” AFP quoted Rizwan as saying.

Pakistan became a no-go zone for international sides in 2009 after gunmen attacked a bus carrying Sri Lanka’s team in Lahore, wounding several players and killing eight policemen and civilians.

Responding to a question during a press conference at Karachi’s National Stadium about the team’s tumultuous performance, Rizwan said: “On a personal level, I think we need to improve our awareness and professionalism.”

He said that there was no doubt Pakistan had achieved great things and the team was very talented.

“Even now, we have players from whom our people might have less hope but the outside world is watching our players and talking about them,” the skipper said.

Answering another question regarding how the side fared better when underrated, Rizwan said: “I think if this is how we can win, then you should underrate us only.”

He said that as the Green Team was hardworking, courageous and smart, “God would help us achieve the result”.

Speaking on whether the side would make any changes to its lineup, the wicketkeeper said that the team has played well recently and has not tried to do anything differently.

“When Babar Azam was captain, we played a semi-final and a final, but we are trying to achieve that one per cent because of which we are losing towards the end,” Rizwan said, referring to the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups.

Shedding light on the opening pair, the skipper said: “If you look at the conditions, and see it according to what is best for the team, then it is Babar who should open.”

He added that Babar had made no such statements indicating he wasn’t interested in continuing as an opener.

“Babar is satisfied and he will continue with it,” Rizwan said, adding that the change was only made for the five games of the Champions Trophy.

The captain said that the side was looking for genuine openers but decided that home conditions and left-right combination were the reasons why they went with Babar.

“We needed someone to tackle the spinners, and due to that, we didn’t keep an opener because Babar can do it, and he is a solid and technical player,” he said.

Additional input from AFP