Champions Trophy: No Saim Ayub as Mohammed Rizwan to lead Pakistan’s 15-man squad

Young in-form opener Saim Ayub missed out after failing to recover as Pakistan announced their 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, which begins on February 19 in Karachi.

Mohammad Rizwan will lead the 15-member squad in his first 50-over ICC tournament as Pakistan captain.

Saim Ayub sustained an ankle injury in Pakistan’s New Year’s Test in Cape Town, South Africa.

“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.

“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.

Explosive veteran opener Fakhar Zaman has returned to the Pakistan side. Fakhar played a key role in the 2017 Champions Trophy final against India. The Pakistan opener had hit his maiden ODI hundred (114 off 106 deliveries) to help his side beat India by 180 runs and win their first ICC Champions Trophy title.

Pakistan have also recalled Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, and Saud Shakeel.

“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.”

Pakistan will field the same 15-man squad in a tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand to prepare for the Champions Trophy. Aaqib Javed, who took over as interim coach when Gary Kirsten left in October, will continue in that post.

Pakistan 15-man squad for Champions Trophy: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi.

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