ICC Champions Trophy: Fakhar Zaman reveals what coach Mickey Arthur told him before 2017 final

With less than ten days to go for the 2025 Champions Trophy to be played in Pakistan and Dubai, hosts Pakistan under skipper Mohammad Rizwan would be hoping to win the trophy, which they won in the tournament’s last edition in 2017. Banking on a hundred by opener Fakhar Zaman, Pakistan had scored a ten-wicket win over India to register their third win against India in Champions Trophy to win the title in England. 34-year-old Zaman has made a comeback to the Pakistan team for the 2025 Champions Trophy and the opener, who has amassed 3576 runs in 83 ODIs in his career, has shared how he almost missed the final.

“I was not well the day before the game. I even talked to Mickey (Mickey Arthur) and said I won’t be able to play the game. He said you go out there and get a duck first ball, it doesn’t matter, you have to play that game. I managed to play but I remember that I didn’t sleep well that night and he forced me to play. I’m pleased he did!” Zaman told the International Cricket Council (ICC) website.

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