Former cricketer Kamran Akmal has named his Pakistan squad for the Champions Trophy 2025. Much to his surprise, Akmal has named both left-handed players Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub in his squad.
Saim Ayub suffered an injury during Pakistan’s Test series in South Africa and has been out of professional cricket ever since. 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 quite some time now. He was dropped after speaking out against the board and was then dropped from Pakistan’s squad for the ODI series in Australia.
Also read: ICC Champions Trophy 2025: PCB ordered to name Sarfaraz Ahmed as ‘mentor’ to crush India
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 readiness of several players.
My 15 people 🇵🇰 squad 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 ul Haq
13. Sufiyan Muqeem
14. M. Irfan Khan Niazi
15. M. Husnain
Which one is yours?— Kamran Akmal (@KamiAkmal23) January 15, 2025
There are not many surprises in the team with wicketkeeper and batsman Mohammad Rizwan selected as the captain of the team. 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 major concern for the men in green.
The middle order looks solid with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan likely to take the 3rd and 4th spot respectively. Kamran Ghulam, who scored a magnificent hundred on his Test debut, has also found a place in the squad, as has all-rounder 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 past few months.
Powerful bowling attack
The bowling line-up looks strong with Shaheen Afridi at the helm. Shaheen, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf are the three first-line fast bowlers in the team and Mohammad Hasnain and bowling all-rounder Aamer Jamal are the reserve fast bowlers.
Chinese left-arm bowler Sufiyan Muqeem and leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed have been included as the two specialist bowlers in the squad. The balance of the team looks great, but now everything depends on Saim Ayub’s fitness.
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 face arch-rivals India in a much-anticipated clash. India and Pakistan are in Group A along with 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, Mohammad Hasnain
