Former Australian World Cup-winning captain Michael Clarke has recently revealed his favorites to win the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to be held in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Clarke, who led Australia to World Cup glory in 2015, named his semi-finalists, finalists, and the tournament winners of the Champions Trophy during a podcast with sports presenter Erin Holland.
According to the former skipper, arch-rivals India and Pakistan, along with Australia and New Zealand, are the teams to reach the final four of the tournament due to their strong squads and past performances in the ICC events.
“India, Pakistan, Australia, and New Zealand are the teams I’ve got in my top four,” said Clarke.
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While discussing hosts and defending champions Pakistan, he highlighted the home advantage and the rivalry with India as the main reasons for their inclusion in the knock-out stage.
“The rivalry between Pakistan and India is unbelievable. If they face each other in the tournament, or even in the final, it would be massive,” said Clarke.
“Pakistan has a balanced squad and playing in home conditions gives them a significant advantage. If they play their best cricket, they are good enough to win the tournament,” remarked the former batter.
However, the 43-year-old also doubted the Pakistan team’s ability to thrive under pressure in crucial matches.
“My fear with Pakistan is whether they can handle the pressure. This has always been a concern when playing against them. I’ve seen them have a better team on multiple occasions, but they have struggled under pressure,” explained Clarke.
“It will be interesting to see how they cope with expectations, especially while playing a major tournament at home,” said Clarke.
Michael Clarke further named India and Australia as the teams to face each other in the all-important encounter.
“My fingers are crossed for Australia, so I’m going to say Australia will be one of the finalists. And I think they will face India in the final,” he added.
Finally, Michael Clarke also picked India as the team to clinch the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
“I think India is going to beat Australia in the final. I can’t believe that just came out of my mouth,” Clarke concluded.
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