A view of renovated National Bank Stadium in Karachi where Pakistan host New Zealand in the opening game of the Champions Trophy on Wednesday, February 19. AP
A view of renovated National Bank Stadium in Karachi where Pakistan host New Zealand in the opening game of the Champions Trophy on Wednesday, February 19. AP
A view of renovated National Bank Stadium in Karachi where Pakistan host New Zealand in the opening game of the Champions Trophy on Wednesday, February 19. AP
A view of renovated National Bank Stadium in Karachi where Pakistan host New Zealand in the opening game of the Champions Trophy on Wednesday, February 19. AP

Champions Trophy: Full team guides as tournament starts in Pakistan and Dubai


Paul Radley
  • English
  • Arabic

Eight years since the Champions Trophy had one of its most momentous occasions with Pakistan beating India at a packed Oval in London, the competition is finally set to return.

The holders will begin their defence on home soil in Karachi on Wednesday when they face New Zealand.

A day later, Dubai will begin its own involvement in a competition nominally hosted by Pakistan, when Bangladesh face India in Sports City. Below is the lowdown on the eight teams who will hope to be crowned champions when the final takes place on March 9.

Group A

Bangladesh; Ranking: 9th

With Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahman still present, it is not quite true to say the last of the old guard have moved on. But watching Bangladesh without Shakib al Hasan will definitely feel odd.

They are the lowest-ranked side in the tournament (Sri Lanka missed out on the cut off for the eight-team event but are now back up to No 5 in the ICC rankings), and have their work cut out to exit a very tough group. That said, they will be well backed by supporters in their game in Dubai on Thursday.

India; Ranking: 1

The tournament favourites as the top side in the world in the format, and they have arrived in Dubai on the back of a thrashing of England in a home warm-up series. How much value they will have derived from that is questionable, given the standard of the opposition.

They are without arguably the world’s best bowler, though, given the injury-enforced absence of Jasprit Bumrah.

They have good recent memories of major ODI tournaments in Dubai, having won the 2018 Asia Cup at the venue where they will play all their matches.

New Zealand; Ranking: 4

Fourth in the world, but they face a tough task as the only non-Asian side in the group. Their preparation has been suboptimal, particularly in the bowling stocks.

With their twin greats Tim Southee and Trent Boult already conspicuous absentees, they have had to replace two more seamers after late withdrawals due to injury.

Jacob Duffy is in for Ben Sears, and Kyle Jamieson has been called up for Lockie Ferguson, who was injured while playing in the DP World International League T20 in the UAE.

Pakistan; Ranking: 3

Having Fakhar Zaman back at the top of the order is a happy reminder of Champions Trophy glories past. He played a central role in Pakistan winning the tournament the last time it was played, when they beat India in the final of the 2017 event at The Oval.

His return after a spell out of the side will go some way to alleviating the disappointment over losing Saim Ayub to injury. Expectations are high that Pakistan can taste success in their first major ICC tournament on home soil since the 1996 World Cup.

Group B

Afghanistan; Ranking: 8

Perhaps still regarded as an outsider by some, but they have made massive strides in recent times under the guidance of coach Jonathan Trott.

They do have riches in the bowling attack, in the form of Rashid Khan, Mohammed Nabi and Fazalhaq Farooqi, who is fresh from being the leading wicket-taker at the ILT20 again.

That said, the loss of mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar to a back injury is a big blow. He would likely have been a major weapon as he is still largely unseen by most opposition batters.

Australia; Ranking: 2

According to the standings they are the second-best team in it, but their prep has been challenging, to say the least. For various reasons they will be without Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitch Marsh, Mitchell Starc and Marcus Stoinis.

It means Steve Smith has been restored to the captaincy to lead a makeshift side. Expect him to enjoy the batting conditions in Lahore and Rawalpindi, even if his bowlers don’t.

With Glenn Maxwell in their line up, they will always have a puncher’s chance, as shown by that extraordinary effort against Afghanistan at the last World Cup in India.

England; Ranking: 7

An abysmal build up as their series defeat in India attracted criticism for an apparent lack of effort as well as practice.

As coach, Brendon McCullum transformed the way England played Test cricket. His effect has yet to be so positive on the limited-overs side, but there is always the sense he could bring about change by force of personality.

Whether the New Zealander can manage it in time for them to be any kind of force in this competition feels unlikely.

South Africa; Ranking: 6

Six losses in a row in ODI cricket does not exactly scream “contenders”. At least their batters enjoyed a decent run in their two warm up matches in Pakistan, as the side breached 300 both times.

The fact both chases were completed with ease (New Zealand and Pakistan both claimed six-wicket wins) will be of concern for captain Temba Bavuma, who is leading a side who are a work in progress.

BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP

Group A

Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA

Group B

Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti

Group C

Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia

Group D

Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Where to buy art books in the UAE

There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.

In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show. 

In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.

In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.

EGYPT SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Ahmed El Shennawy, Mohamed El Shennawy, Mohamed Abou-Gabal, Mahmoud Abdel Rehem "Genesh"
Defenders: Ahmed Elmohamady, Ahmed Hegazi, Omar Gaber, Ali Gazal, Ayman Ahsraf, Mahmoud Hamdy, Baher Elmohamady, Ahmed Ayman Mansour, Mahmoud Alaa, Ahmed Abou-Elfotouh
Midfielders: Walid Soliman, Abdallah El Said, Mohamed Elneny, Tarek Hamed, Mahmoud “Trezeguet” Hassan, Amr Warda, Nabil Emad
Forwards: Ahmed Ali, Mohamed Salah, Marwan Mohsen, Ahmed "Kouka" Hassan.

Types of bank fraud

1) Phishing

Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.

2) Smishing

The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.

3) Vishing

The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.

4) SIM swap

Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.

5) Identity theft

Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.

6) Prize scams

Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.

Profile

Company: Justmop.com

Date started: December 2015

Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan

Sector: Technology and home services

Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai

Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month

Funding:  The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups. 

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Updated: February 19, 2025, 3:51 AM`