The host nation, Pakistan has now announced their squad for the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy. The team will be led by the wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan.
Fakhar Zaman is included in the team. It will be his first appearance in the 50-over circuit after the 2023 ODI World Cup where he played against England on November 11. He will be seen opening along with Babar Azam or Saud Shakeel which was compared by the national selector.
Saim Ayub who was in tremendous form but missed the spot due to the ankle injury which happened during the Cape Town test against South Africa. He is in the recovery process and it is expected that it might take at least 4 more weeks to get fully fit but the hope is little thin to make fully assured regarding his fitness.
Abdullah Shafique didn’t make it into the final list due to his back to back poor batting performances. Bowling all-rounder Faheem Ashraf played his last match in 2023 and marked his name into 15’s.
Member of the selection panel Asad Shafiq said, “The inclusion of emerging players like mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed and middle-order batters Kamran Ghulam and Tayyab Tahir reflects our confidence in their ability to translate domestic success into international impact. These players have shown the temperament and skill to thrive in challenging environments and have a deep understanding of home conditions.
Abrar Ahmed will lead the spin attack, supported by Khushdil Shah and Salman Ali Agha, who offer reliable slow-bowling options, while Faheem Ashraf’s experience and presence gives us a fast-bowling all-rounder’s option. Fakhar Zaman’s return is a significant boost for our top-order. His aggressive approach and match-winning capabilities are vital to our plans.”
The team will play the inaugural match against New Zealand on February 19. They are in Group A along with India, Bangladesh and New Zealand. All the matches of Pakistan will be played in their home ground except the match against India which will be played in Dubai.
The squad will also play a tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa before the ICC tournament.
Pakistan squad:
Mohammad Rizwan (c/wk), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah.
Fakhar Zaman profile credit: wikipedia.com