Sun Feb 23 04:21:38 UTC 2025: ## Pakistan’s Aqib Javed Backs Pace Trio to Shine Against India in Champions Trophy Clash

**Dubai:** Pakistan’s head coach Aqib Javed has expressed confidence in his pace bowling attack, predicting a stellar performance from Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf in their crucial Champions Trophy match against India on Sunday. The team faces pressure following the injury-forced absence of match-winner Fakhar Zaman and a recent loss to New Zealand.

Javed acknowledged Zaman’s absence as a significant blow but emphasized the opportunity for other players to step up. He highlighted the strength of Pakistan’s pace bowling, comparing the current trio to legendary pace attacks of the 1990s. He stated that the pressure is always present in such high-stakes matches, and this is a chance for his players to leave their mark.

Pakistan needs a win to keep their semi-final hopes alive, while India enters the match on the back of a victory against Bangladesh. The head-to-head record between the two teams in ODIs favors India (91 wins to Pakistan’s 73 out of 135 matches), though Pakistan has performed better in recent encounters. While India has won 5 of their last 6 ODIs against Pakistan (with one no result), Javed is optimistic about his team’s chances.

The article also included possible playing XIs for both teams:

**Possible India XI:** Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana/Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav/Varun Chakravarthy

**Possible Pakistan XI:** Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Usman Khan, Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

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