Fakhar Zaman has been summoned back as an opener for Pakistan’s title defense in the Champions Trophy that will be held in the country.
Asad Shafique, the National Selector, also confirmed that 15 players from the country’s team will take part in the tournament in which either Babar Azam or Saud Shakeel will join Zaman as an opener for the season which starts on February 19.
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The squad now has only three players from the Pakistani squad that won the Championship in 2017, including Zaman who scored a magnificent century against India in the finals. Although he has been injured and ill since June of 2024, the Zaman was in good form during the Champions T20 Cup and was selected for the tournament while Abdullah Shafique was dropped from the roster and Saim Ayub is injured.
Shakeel has not played an ODI since the 2023 World Cup, but his consistent scoring in Test matches while at home has earned him a spot. Faheem Ashraf and Khusdil Shah also earned spots on the team after they performed well in the domestic competitions lately. With the exception of Muhammad Irfan Khan and Sufyan Moqim, who came on board during the last ODI in South Africa, the rest of the players are the same. The tri-series with New Zealand and South Africa before the big event will be played with the same group under the supervision of Mohammad Rizwan
As Shafiq explained, the inclusion of emerging cricketers, such as mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed and middle-order batters Kamran Ghulam and Tayyab Tahir, inspires confidence in their ability to achieve international success having only recently flourished in domestic cricket. “These players are now confident of their ability to cope with difficult situations given their superior feel of the home conditions.”
The offensive needs of the team will be better served with the addition of Khushdil Shah and Salman Ali Agha, who are sure to bolster the spin department. Additionally, Abrar Ahmed will take charge of the team’s spin section. The team’s fast-bowling roster is further strengthened by Faheem Ashraf’s all-round expertise and formidable fast-bowling experience. Also, pièce de résistance Zaman is sure to add depth to the top order due to his high batting average and ability to win matches. You can visit here for more cricket latest update.
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