It will be the first major global tournament hosted by Pakistan in nearly 30 years and former batting great Inzamam Ul Haq told Reuters there was no escaping the excitement in the lead-up to the event.

The Champions Trophy, which kicks off next week, comes to Pakistan as the country battles two insurgencies and a political crisis that has sent its former prime minister and greatest cricket hero, Imran Khan, to jail.

Asked about Babar's future, Shan told the BBC's 'Stumped' podcast on Saturday: "I think he's one of the best batsmen in the world. I'm nobody to deny him a future. He has every quality to be one of the greatest batsmen in Test cricket.

Rizwan was appointed captain of limited over formats on Sunday, replacing Babar Azam who had two turns in the post but wasn't able to allay a run of disastrous tournament performances.

Rizwan will take over from Babar Azam, who stepped down from the position at the beginning of this month.

"Everybody goes and looks at the wicket and everybody says something different," England batsman Harry Brook told reporters.

The 152-run victory was Pakistan's first home win since February 2021 and came after they were thumped by an innings in the first Test on the same Multan pitch.

Azam announced his resignation on his personal social media just before midnight on Tuesday, before an official Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) statement more than 12 hours later.

Pakistan's dire recent performances in international cricket have sparked debate over the invasion of politics in sport, with claims nepotism at the top is sabotaging success on the field.

In November 2023, Shaheen Afridi took over as the Pakistan T20I skipper after Babar Azam resigned following Pakistan’s poor run in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

According to Pakistan’s Geo TV, the pacer misbehaved with batting coach Mohammad Yousuf during the team's England tour.

The 49-year-old will start his two-year tenure with a two-match series against Bangladesh next month followed by three against England in October -- both at home.

Rauf and his teammates have been on the receiving end of a barrage of criticism from fans on social media following their early exit from the ongoing T20 World Cup.

The early exit is a bitter disappointment though for Pakistan, who were beaten finalists in the tournament two years ago.

Knowing defeat would condemn them to a shock first round exit, Rizwan and Babar put on a match-winning second-wicket partnership of 63 as Pakistan reached their target of 107 with 15 balls to spare.

Although both countries are cricket powerhouses, head-to-head matches are rare between the nations.

Overall the team didn’t adjust to the conditions at the Grand Prairie Stadium, according to the Pakistan skipper.

While much of Pakistan's fortunes at the T20 World Cup will rest with Babar and reliable lieutenant Mohammad Rizwan, Ponting believes there is a young batter at the top of their batting order that might cause a surprise.

Four years out of the international game is a long time, but Amir says that the quality and environment around the Pakistan camp has made his reintegration pretty straightforward.

Pakistan are placed alongside India, co-hosts United States, Canada and Ireland in Group A. The top two teams will qualify for the next round of Super Eight, to be held in the West Indies with the final in Barbados on June 29.