Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced Pakistanb's 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy 2025 which is scheduled to start from February 19. The final squad for the tournament can be changed until February 11. Pakistan are scheduled to play a Tri-Nation Series against New Zealand and South Africa from February 8 to 14 before the Champions Trophy 2025.
Mohammad Rizwan will lead Pakistan in the mega event and Saim Ayub who got injured during the first Test match against South Africa has missed his spot as he is currently on the road to 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," Asad Shafiq, a member of the National Selection Committee explained on Saim Ayub's absence.
"However, as a valuable asset to our team, we are committed to prioritising his long-term health over making any rushed decisions."
Top-order batter Abdullah Shafique has also missed the cut, paving the way for Babar to secure one of the top-order roles. Veteran star Fakhar Zaman has been included in the squad. He played a monumental role in the 2017 Champions Trophy final. He scored a maiden ODI ton (114 off 106 deliveries) at The Oval, London, as Pakistan beat India by 180 runs to claim the title.
“Fakhar’s opening partner could be either Babar Azam or Saud Shakeel, depending on various factors such as conditions, opposition and match strategy," Shafiq said.
"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."
The same squad will feature in the tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand in the leadup to the Champions Trophy.
Pakistan will enter the tournament as defending champions and they will start their campaign against New Zealand on February 19 at National Stadium in Karachi. After facing the Blackcaps, Pakistan will face arch-rivals India in their second league match and the Mohammad Rizwan-led side will lock horns against Bangladesh for their third league match.
Pakistan Squad for Champions Trophy 2025:
Mohammad Rizwan (c/wk), Salman Ali Agha (vc), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Tayyab Tahir, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Usman Khan.