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India's Virat Kohli (2L) along with his teammate Axar Patel (2R) shakes hands with Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi (L) at the end of the ICC Champions Trophy one-day international (ODI) cricket match between Pakistan and India at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai on February 23, 2025. | AFP photo.

Gloom and demands for wholesale change engulfed cricket-crazy Pakistan on Tuesday after the hosts crashed out of the Champions Trophy in the group stage, barely a week into celebrating the return of a major tournament.

The title-holders lost their opening game to New Zealand by 60 runs in Karachi last week before Sunday's six-wicket defeat to arch-rivals India pushed them to the brink of an early exit.