Champions Trophy 2025: Pakistan announce 15-member squad; Fakhar Zaman, Faheem Ashraf return

Pakistan finally revealed their 15-member squad for the upcoming edition of the Champions Trophy. The deadline for the provisional squad announcement was January 12. However, there was a significant delay in announcing the 15-member squad. 

In what is an unfortunate development, southpaw Saim Ayub remained unavailable due to an ankle fracture obtained during the Cape Town Test against South Africa. Earlier today, the chairperson of the Pakisan Cricket Board, Mohsin Naqvi, confirmed Ayub's return remained "at least four weeks" from now. Left-handed top-order batter, Fakhar Zaman, returned to the national setup. The callup comes after he fell out with the PCB in relation to a social media post in October last year. 

Bowling all-rounder, Faheem Ashraf, who last represented the nation in 2023, was listed in the roster as well. Abdullah Shafique lost his place in the ODI setup due to an extremely lean run of form in the ODIs against the Proteas. Saud Shakeel and Khushdil Shah also found a place in the side. 

Former middle-order batter and current member of the selection panel, Asad Shafique, provided hints on the potential opening partners of 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," stated Shafique, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Shafique also pointed out the core positives of the drafted squad.

"One of the standout qualities of this side is its flexibility - an essential trait in today's modern-day cricket. 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," he added.

Also Read: No opening ceremony for Champions Trophy 2025; Rohit Sharma to not set foot in Pakistan 

Pakistan's squad for Champions Trophy 2025:

Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Usman Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Rizwan (c, wk), Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah.