Fakhar Zaman makes a comeback to the team as Pakistan announce their squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy. The 15-member squad will play the tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa as the build-up to the tournament. Zaman, who was earlier dropped from the team on a disciplinary basis after he tweeted in favor of Babar Azam following the latter’s axing from the side, will mark his return to competitive cricket for the first time since the T20 World Cup in June last year.
The young opener Saim Ayub has been left out of the squad as he recovers from an ankle fracture he sustained while fielding during the Cape Town Test last month. In addition to him, his opening partner Abdullah Shafique is also not a part of the squad owing to his prolonged slump which earlier cost him his place in Pakistan’s Test team.
While the presence of Fakhar Zaman will answer many of the side’s opening questions, it remains to be seen who accompanies him at the top. Asad Shafiq, who is currently serving as a member of Pakistan’s selection panel, said that Babar Azam or Saud Shakeel could be paired up with Fakhar, though he seemed more inclined towards the former.
“Fakhar’s opening partner could be either Babar Azam or Saud Shakeel, depending on various factors such as conditions, opposition, and match strategy. Both players are highly capable at the top of the order, with Babar being particularly seasoned in the role, regularly opening in T20Is and also excelling in the Cape Town Test by scoring two half-centuries in Saim Ayub’s absence.”
Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, and Saud Shakeel have also been called up in a bid to add much-needed firepower to the middle order. Although Khushdil last played an ODI game in 2022, his decent average of 33 in the format will help him do the middle-order job the way it needs to be done. He also had a decent run in the Champions Cup last year, where he scored at an average of 35.
There were some speculations that Shadab Khan might get called up too but instead, Pakistan opted for a pace-heavy lineup with one specialist spinner, Abrar Ahmed. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, and Haris Rauf form the four-pronged pace attack, leaving Mohammad Rizwan spoiled for bowling choices.
“One of the standout qualities of this side is its flexibility – an essential trait in today’s modern-day cricket.” Asad Shafiq said. “We are confident that this squad strikes the right balance between youth and experience, and has all bases covered. Each player has been chosen with a clear role in mind, ensuring the captain has versatile options at his disposal.”
Pakistan are not only the host of the upcoming eight-team tournament but also the title defenders, having won the last edition in 2017. The team will begin their defending campaign with a match against New Zealand in Karachi on February 19.
Pakistan’s squad for Tri-series and the Champions Trophy 2025
Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), Khushdil Shah, Salman Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah
