Same conditions, same opposition. Pakistan will not win the Champions Trophy 99/100 times. That is my definition of fluke, and that is why I consider India's 1983 World Cup win and West Indies' 2004 Champions Trophy triumphs flukes as well.
This doesn't mean that every time a favourite doesn't win it has to be a fluke. For example, had Pakistan won the 2011 World Cup or had South Africa or India won the 2015 World Cup, it wouldn't have been a fluke, but you need a lot of luck to win a tournament out of the blue when you are nowhere close to being favourites.
Pakistan's 2017 Champions Trophy team would have lost a series to every team (excluding Sri Lanka and Bangladesh) in the competition in those conditions, but Pakistan won three successive matches against three better sides because everything went their way. It was something unique that will most likely never happen again, especially to Pakistan. Even against Sri Lanka, an inferior team, Pakistan completely bottled the game but luck favoured them again.
Nevertheless, it was a fantastic triumph and our fans had every right to rejoice it because it will go down as one of the most memorable moments in Pakistan history. Fluke or not, the trophy is now in Pakistan's cabinet. However, the problem was that our fans looked too much into that success and became oblivious to the glaring shortcomings of the team. Their heads were in the clouds and they thought they were now invincible. This attitude rubbed onto the players as well, who got cocky.
Our misplaced arrogance was particularly on display with respect to India. We were told that this new generation of Pakistani players, the PSL stars like Fakhar, Babar, Shadab, Hasan, Faheem as well as Sarfraz and Amir etc. will not fear India anymore, and the Champions Trophy will be another "Miandad six" moment, and how it will prove to be a turning moment in the Pakistan-India rivalry.
All of those delusions were laid to rest in the Asia Cup, which was an extremely brutal reality check. It was a longsword that was plunged straight into our hearts. An Indian team without Kohli came to the UAE and completely demolished a full-strength Pakistan side in two matches. Players like Hasan, Fakhar etc. completely lost their confidence and the likes of Arthur and Sarfraz have never been the same since.
That Asia Cup humiliation completely demoralised the psyche of Pakistan cricket and all the momentum from the Champions Trophy was blown into a million pieces. The fans on PP were also deeply humiliated because their arrogance leading up to the tournament was embarrassing.
It was a terribly rude awakening, but we had it coming. We should have realised that winning the Champions Trophy didn't make us world beaters overnight. We were still an average side who had 3 great games against 3 better sides, and that was it. A few of us knew that the Champions Trophy wouldn't have any long-term implications and a reality check was coming for the deluded players and the fans, but no one cared to listen at that time.
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, who will be motivated enough and beatc any team including India "On their day".
