ICC Champions Trophy: There will be no change in the Pakistan team selected for the Champions Trophy, Faheem-Khushdil get a chance
There is not much time left for the start of the ICC Champions Trophy. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to stick with its pre-selected team for the tournament which begins on February 19. The board took this decision amid the ongoing controversy over the selection of Khushdil Shah and Faheem Ashraf in the team.
Decision taken on Faheem and Khushdil in the review meeting
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi and selectors reviewed the 15-member squad selected for the upcoming tournament and decided to keep Khushdil Shah and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf in the team. A PCB source said that there will be no change in the team. The source said- ‘The same 15 players will represent Pakistan in the upcoming (Champions Trophy) tournament and if any player gets injured, it will be dealt with according to the rules of the ICC tournament.’ Let us tell you that, many former players and experts had criticized the selectors for including Khushdil and Faheem in the Champions Trophy team. These people had opposed the inclusion of Khushdil and Faheem in the team due to not playing international cricket for a long time.
There was a controversy over taking Faheem-Khushdil
Faheem has scored 224 runs in 34 ODIs at an average of 10.66 and taken 26 wickets at an average of 46.30. He played his last ODI in September 2023. On the other hand, Khushdil has not been able to score a single half-century in his last 10 innings. He has not played any match for the national team since August 2022. Mohsin Naqvi also made a statement on this issue. He said that he does not interfere in the work of the selectors and what he thinks will be best for the team.
In this tournament, the Pakistan team will play under the captaincy of Mohammad Rizwan, while Aaqib Javed, who is holding the post of interim coach after the departure of Gary Kirsten, will continue in this post. The only specialist spinner in the team, 26-year-old Abrar Ahmed has played four ODIs in which he has taken 10 wickets with a best performance of four wickets for 33 runs.
Ayub could not make it due to injury
Saim Ayub has not got a place in this 15-member team because he will not be available due to an ankle fracture. Saim was injured in the Cape Town Test against South Africa. PCB waited for Saim to get fit and tried everything possible to include him in the team, but he could not get fit on time due to which he could not be a part of this ICC tournament.
ALSO READ: Champions Trophy: 5 Biggest Partnerships In The History
