Former cricketer Kamran Akmal has named his Pakistan squad for the Champions Trophy 2025. In a big surprise, Akmal has named both left-handed openers Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub in his squad.
Saim Ayub suffered an injury during Pakistan's Test series in South Africa and was ruled out of all professional cricket from that point. The PCB has decided to send Ayub to London for proper treatment, however, his chances of making it to the Champions Trophy are quite slim.
Meanwhile, Fakhar Zaman has been out of the team for a long time. He was dropped after speaking out against the board and subsequently dropped from Pakistan's squad for the ODI series in Australia.
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Kamran Akmal includes Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub for the Champions Trophy
Kamran Akmal took to social media and picked his 15-man Pakistan squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy. It is a strong team, but it depends on the fitness of a few players.
My team of 15 men 🇵🇰 for #CT2025
1. Fakhar Zaman
2. Saim Ayub
3. Babar Azam
4. M. Rizwan (c)
5. Salman Ali Agha
6. Kamran Ghulam
7.Aamer Jamal
8. Shaheen shah Afridi
9. Haris Rauf
10. Naseem Shah
11. Abrar Ahmad
12. Imam Haq
13. Sufian Muqeem
14.M.Irfan Khan Niazi
15. M. Husnain
which is yours— Kamran Akmal (@KamiAkmal23) January 15, 2025
The team does not have many surprises with wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan chosen as the team captain. Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub and Imam-ul-Haq are the three openers in the team. While Fakhar and Imam are fit, Ayub's fitness is a big concern for the Men in Green.
The middle order looks solid, with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan likely to slot in at No.3 and No.4 respectively. Kamran Ghulam, who scored a magnificent hundred on his Test debut, has found a place in the team, so did big-hitter Irfan Khan Niazi.
Salman Ali Agha, who is currently the vice-captain of the team, provides them with the necessary balance with his quality off-spin bowling. Salman has been one of the top performers for Pakistan across all formats over the last few months.
Powerful bowling attack
The bowling line-up looks strong with Shaheen Afridi leading the pack. Shaheen, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf are the three frontline fast bowlers in the team, with Mohammad Hasnain and Aamer Jamal bowling as the backup fast bowlers.
Chinese left-arm spinner Sufiyan Muqeem and leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed have been included as the two specialist spinners in the team. The balance of the team looks great but it all depends on Saim Ayub's fitness now.
Pakistan will begin their Champions Trophy campaign on February 19 against New Zealand in Karachi. The Men in Green will then travel to Dubai to take on arch-rivals India in a highly anticipated clash. India and Pakistan are in Group A alongside Bangladesh and New Zealand.
Kamran Akmal's Pakistan squad for Champions Trophy 2025
Mohammad Rizwan (C) (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Salman Ali Agha, Kamran Ghulam, Irfan Khan Niazi, Aamer Jamal, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Sufiyan Muqeem, Imam- ul-Haq, Muhammad Hasnain