
Courtesy: Google
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday announced 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will be tentatively played in Pakistan and the UAE. Fakhar Zaman, along with Babar Azam and Faheem Ashraf, has been called back to the team. The trio were among the members that won the title during 2017 Champions Trophy in The Oval. Mohammad Rizwan will be leading the team, with Salman Ali Agha serving as the vice-captain. Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, and Naseem Shah are the four pacers nominated to the Champions Trophy team.
Fakhar Zaman, a veteran who played an important part in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, scoring his first ODI century (114 off 106 deliveries) at The Oval in London. It was the match where Pakistan defeated India by 180 runs to win the trophy. Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, and Saud Shakeel have also been recalled. “Fakhar’s opening partner could be either Babar Azam or Saud Shakeel, depending on various factors such as conditions, opposition and match strategy," Asad Shafiq, a member of the National Selection Committee said.
Aggressive approach by Fakhar Zaman could be vital for series: Asad Shafiq
Fakhar Zaman has been out of international cricket since June owing to injury and illness before making 303 runs in a domestic T20 tournament on his return to cricket in December.
“Fakhar Zaman’s aggressive approach and match-winning capabilities are vital to our plans,” Shafiq said. “Likewise, Saud Shakeel is an experienced, intelligent and calculated batter who constructs his innings thoughtfully and excels at building partnerships,” he added.
Pakistan will host a tri-nation series with South Africa and New Zealand from February 8 in Pakistan, to prepare for the Champions Trophy. The same team will go further to play for the Champions Trophy. Pakistan is in group A of the Champions Trophy, alongside India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh, and will face New Zealand in the first match on February 19 in Karachi.
Pakistan's Champions Trophy Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi