"The best of them comes out in ODIs" - Aakash Chopra on Pakistan's strengths ahead of 2025 Champions Trophy

Former India player Aakash Chopra has picked Pakistan's prowess in ODI cricket as one of their strengths ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy. He opined that the Men in Green's batters are at their best in the longer white-ball format.

The 2025 Champions Trophy will be played in Pakistan and Dubai from February 19 onwards. The hosts are placed in Group A alongside India, Bangladesh and New Zealand, and will play the tournament opener against the Kiwis in Karachi.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener chose Pakistan's proficiency in ODIs as one of their plusses ahead of the ICC event.

"If you see their overall team, they are actually an ODI team. They are not a team that does well in Tests, where they rely a lot on their spinners and win at home only. The fast bowling is decent, but if you see their batting order, it's not suited for T20s and Tests," he said (4:05).

"When you are somewhere in the middle, you say they are a very good ODI team. They look like a solid ODI team. When I look at their batting, whether it's Fakhar Zaman, Saud Shakeel, Babar Azam or Mohammad Rizwan, the best of them comes out in ODIs," Chopra added.

Babar Azam has amassed 6,019 runs at an average of 55.73 in 123 ODI innings. Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman average in the forties in ODIs, with the latter having played a match-winning 114-run knock in the 2017 Champions Trophy final against India.

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"They know the conditions better than anybody else" - Aakash Chopra on Pakistan's other strengths heading into 2025 Champions Trophy

The Pakistan-India game will be played in Dubai. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra chose Pakistan's familiarity with the conditions at home and in Dubai as a massive strength heading into the 2025 Champions Trophy.

"They know the conditions better than anybody else and that is a huge strength. When they come to Dubai, they know the conditions very well there too. They also played a tri-nation series at home recently," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Mohammad Rizwan and company's impressive recent ODI form should also hold them in good stead.

"This team's recent form has been excellent. They have won the last three ODIs series (before the recent tri-series at home). They are coming after beating South Africa and Australia in away series. So the recent form is outstanding and playing at home is an advantage," Chopra observed.

Pakistan lost to New Zealand in the final of the recent tri-series at home where South Africa were the third team. Before the tri-series, the Men in Green registered away ODI series wins against Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.