It’s been more than a month since Pakistan achieved what many thought was almost impossible - winning the ICC Champions Trophy. The national team’s success was nothing short of a miracle considering that it began the elite eight-nation tournament as the lowest-ranked team that had barely managed to qualify for the Champions Trophy. The icing on the cake was the fact that Pakistan thrashed arch-rivals India in a one-sided final at The Oval to win their first ever Champions Trophy crown.

Such victory was bound to be followed by unprecedented celebrations. That’s why the sort of reception received by Sarfraz Ahmed and his team-mates back home was hardly surprising. During the last four weeks, the cricketers have been showered with praise and lavish prizes. From the millions handed out to each one of them from the national exchequer by the Prime Minister to expensive plots of land given by a real estate tycoon, the players have happily accepted all such rewards. And they continue doing so.

But all good things must come to an end. It’s time that Pakistan cricket puts an end to all the Champions Trophy celebrations and start moving on. It’s time that the players are asked to resume focusing on their cricket. They have already cashed on the success that the team achieved in England. Any further indulgence in the money-making spree could have negative repercussions on the team. Already, there are murmurs among some of the national team players over disproportionate incomes of team-mates from the cash windfall following the Champions Trophy triumph. Unsurprisingly, skipper Sarfraz Ahmed has become the darling of the nation after leading a previously under-achieving Pakistan team to the title in England. He is getting bigger rewards both in form of cash and kind than the other team-mates. Fakhar Zaman, the rookie opener who shot to international fame with his match-winning ton in the Champions Trophy final against India, is also receiving more attention which is quite understandable. After all, given the choice, would you like to have a selfie with Fakhar Zaman or Ahmed Shehzad? Or, would you prefer to invite Sarfraz Ahmed or Wahab Riaz for dinner?

But the thing is that all these post Champions Trophy happenings could be detrimental for the team as a whole. And we should also be clear about one thing: Despite the fact that Pakistan won the Champions Trophy in an emphatic manner, they are still far from being an all-conquering team in either of the three formats. With the likes of Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan gone, Pakistan will surely struggle in Tests, especially against top-ranked teams.

Their 50-over fortunes received a surprise boost in England last month but we shouldn’t forget where Pakistan stood in the One-day International rankings before taking the field for the Champions Trophy. From where I see it, the Pakistan team is still a work in progress. Pakistan have fortunately found good young players in Hasan Ali, Fakhar Zaman and a few others but they are still pretty raw. The team will need time to establish itself as a top-flight ODI side. Those who think otherwise, need to think again.

That’s why the thing that the national team doesn’t need is needless discord in the dressing room. Sarfraz and his men managed to win the Champions Trophy against all odds primarily because of unity and self-belief. All such emotions and qualities can dissipate if there is a sense of injustice among some of the players. That’s why it will be a wise move if the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) puts an end to the celebratory phase and instruct the players to focus on their form and fitness. On its part, the PCB has tried to dispel the impression that a disparity in the distribution of prizes has left some of the Pakistan team players unhappy.

The Board has declared that all is well. But that’s not the case. My sources tell me that more than half of the Champions Trophy-winning team is fuming over the fact that players like Sarfraz and Fakhar are getting a bigger share from the pie everywhere they go.

It’s not a good feeling to have in any team’s dressing room. And it’s especially not a good feeling to have in the Pakistan team’s dressing room. It reminds one of so many unsavory episodes of the past when Pakistan’s players tussled over similar issues and in the end the team suffered.

Pakistan should also know that the Champions Trophy wasn’t the biggest prize on offer in international cricket. It certainly is a major title and I’m sure every team wants to win it but the biggest ODI prize to win is the World Cup. That’s the one event which Pakistan should be planning for. Pakistan last won the coveted crown a quarter of a century ago.

Their last appearance in a World Cup final was way back in 1999. Since then, they’ve mostly flopped in the quadrennial event. Two years from now, Pakistan will get a chance to change the script. England will host the next World Cup in the summer of 2019. The Champions Trophy victory has given Pakistan a much-needed shot in the arm. They should now build up on it and make sure that they raise a strong, balanced squad that is capable of winning the World Cup. That’s the one target they should be focusing on. Everything else should take a back seat.