Pakistan has made a big plan move before the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy by recalling two of their key players: Fakhar Zaman and Faheem Ashraf. Fakhar Zaman has not been selected since facing his fall-out with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in October 2024 over a controversial social media post. Faheem Ashraf, who cricket has missed international cricket since 2023, is also making his way back with ample experience in the team.
- Saim Ayub’s Injury and Absence from the Squad
- Abdullah Shafique Omitted Following Poor Form
- Flexible Batting Order: The Role of Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel
- Selecting Fast-Bowling Pace Attack Along with Balanced Squad
- Irfan Khan Left Out and Redemption for Faheem Ashraf
- Pakistan’s Champions Trophy Schedule
Along with Zaman and Ashraf, the side includes some newcomers such as Khushdil Shah and Saud Shakeel, both of whom have been on the side following outstanding domestic form. They will add a great deal to the tournament. The same side is set to feature in an ODI triangular tournament, which serves as a preparation match for the Champions Trophy as well. Here they will be up against South Africa and New Zealand.
Saim Ayub’s Injury and Absence from the Squad
The other player who will be missing from the squad is the young batter Saim Ayub, who got an ankle fracture during the Cape Town Test. He was expected to miss at least six weeks of action but was confirmed to take at least four more weeks to recover completely. Despite the hope that he may recover in time for the Champions Trophy, the PCB has ruled him out of the tournament. This leaves Pakistan’s opening options with a new look, as Ayub’s injury has forced changes in the team’s batting order.
Abdullah Shafique Omitted Following Poor Form
Abdullah Shafique has been shockingly left out due to his bad form, where he did not get a single score in the last ODI series against South Africa. Shafiq is the first player ever in cricket history who was dismissed for a duck in every match of a completed series, and it led to his omission from the team against the Champions Trophy. Consequently, Pakistan will look to a totally new opening combination, and it is most likely that Fakhar Zaman will be opening the innings with either Babar Azam or Saud Shakeel.
Flexible Batting Order: The Role of Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel
The opening combination remains an issue, with Babar Azam also considered for the opening position despite having a traditional batting slot in the middle order. Babar has already been opened in T20Is and has done pretty well in the Test series against South Africa by scoring two half-centuries for Saim Ayub. There is another solid contender in the form of Saud Shakeel, who has promise and could be an option on match conditions and strategy. Asad Shafiq, a member of the selection committee, said both Babar and Shakeel were very good players and the decision would be taken after considering various factors.
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Selecting Fast-Bowling Pace Attack Along with Balanced Squad
Pakistan’s fast-bowling pace attack remains unchanged, which is one of the strong aspects of this team after winning the recent overseas ODI series. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Hasnain have been retained, so the pace attack remains as deadly as ever. The spin department has been tweaked a bit, with Abrar Ahmed being the only specialist spinner picked for the tournament. Sufiyan Mukarram, who had a great ODI debut, and Shadab Khan, who captained Pakistan in the last Champions Cup, have not been picked.
The balance of youth and experience is a crucial element that the selection panel has maintained in the team. Asad Shafiq said that in modern cricket, flexibility was of utmost importance and that Pakistan now has options to choose from, depending on situations and match conditions. This selection will provide the tools to the captain Mohammad Rizwan for success in the high-stakes Champions Trophy.
Irfan Khan Left Out and Redemption for Faheem Ashraf
One of the surprising omissions from the squad is Irfan Khan, who had been touted as a key player in Pakistan’s middle order and had been praised for his fielding. His omission has raised eyebrows, but the selection committee has gone for a different combination, with the return of Faheem Ashraf. Faheem’s recent form with the bat in the President’s Cup helped him regain his place in the squad after a less-than-ideal Champions Trophy performance in September.
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Pakistan’s Champions Trophy Schedule
Pakistan will start their Champions Trophy campaign with the first match against New Zealand on February 19, 2025, in Karachi. They will then move to Dubai for the clash with arch-rivals India before closing the group stage campaign against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on February 27. It’s a tournament of immense importance for Pakistan as the team would seek to assert its place among the top contenders for the trophy.
The Last Team
Pakistan’s team for the Champions Trophy is as under:
– Fakhar Zaman
– Babar Azam
– Kamran Ghulam
– Saud Shakeel
– Tayyab Tahir
– Faheem Ashraf
– Mohammad Rizwan (c and wk)
– Khushdil Shah
– Salman Agha
– Usman Khan
– Abrar Ahmed
– Shaheen Shah Afridi
– Mohammad Hasnain
– Haris Rauf
– Naseem Shah
With this team, Pakistan is preparing for what promises to be an exciting and challenging Champions Trophy campaign, with both experienced players and fresh talent ready to take on the world’s best.
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