Ayub Misses Out, Fakhar And Shakeel Return To Pakistan Squad For Champions Trophy

Ayub misses out, Fakhar and Shakeel return to Pakistan squad for Champions Trophy (Image Source: IANS)

The Pakistan Cricket Board: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a 15-player squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to take place in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9. Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khushdil Shah, and Saud Shakeel are all coming back into the squad for the tournament. The same squad will also feature in the tri-nation ODI series, featuring New Zealand and South Africa in Lahore and Karachi, in the lead-up to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

There are four changes in the 15-player squad that last played an ODI series in South Africa late last year. Abdullah Shafique, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Saim Ayub, and Sufyan Moqim have been replaced by Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khushdil Shah, and Saud Shakeel. The squad, to be captained by Mohammad Rizwan with Salman Ali Agha as vice-captain, includes three members from the 2017 CT side - Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, and Fakhar Zaman. Babar and Fakhar, along with Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Saud Shakeel had also featured in the last 50-over ICC event - the ICC Men’s 50-over Cricket World Cup 2023.

Opener Fakhar Zaman, who scored a century in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 final against India, makes a comeback after overcoming injury and illness that had sidelined him from international cricket since June 2024.

Asad Shafiq, a member of the National Selection Committee confirmed that Babar or Shakeel are being considered to open the batting alongside Fakhar. “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,” said Shafiq.

Young talented batter Saim Ayub will, unfortunately, have to miss out on the 15-member squad after having sustained an ankle fracture during the second Test against South Africa in Cape Town earlier this month. He along with assistant coach Azhar Mahmood went to London for treatment and was not able to recover in time.

“Saim Ayub has not been included in the squad due to an ankle injury, but we remain optimistic about his recovery. We understand how much he was looking forward to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and recognise how devastating it must be for him to miss a global event, especially when he is in such exceptional batting form. However, as a valuable asset to our team, we are committed to prioritizing his long-term health over making any rushed decisions,” he added.

The Pakistan ODI squad will assemble in Lahore on Monday (February 3). The PCB has until February 11 to make any changes to the squad; thereafter, replacements will only be permitted on medical grounds, subject to approval by the ICC Event Technical Committee.

Pakistan’s 15-player squad:

Batters: Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Rizwan (c), Usman Khan

All-rounders: Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain)

Batters: Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Rizwan (c), Usman Khan

Article Source: IANS