5 reasons for Pakistan's hasty exit from the ICC Champions Trophy

3. Unsettled opening partnership

The significance of a good opening partnership in the ODI format of the game cannot be stressed enough. A look around the teams in the Champions Trophy will indicate that the successful teams have a stable pair at the top of the innings. Especially in English conditions with two new balls at each end, the opening batsmen need to perform a specific role. They need to bat out the first 10-12 overs at least, while putting up a reasonable score on board. Pakistan opted for Imran Farhat’s explosiveness ahead of Md. Hafeez’s dependability and paid the price for it. Imran Farhat was dismissed for a score of 2 runs in both the games that he played exposing the top order to the new ball.