Pakistan announced squad for Champions Trophy
By our correspondent
LAHORE: Fakhar Zaman, Saud Shakeel, Khushdil Shah and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf have returned to the squad as Pakistan on Friday unveiled its 15-member squad for the ICC Champions Trophy which will be held in Pakistan and UAE from February 19 to March 9.
Four changes have been made in the ODI squad which recently clean-swept South Africa in the three-match ODI series in South Africa.
Out-of-form opener Abdullah Shafique, promising batsman Mohammad Irfan Khan and spinner Sufyan Muqeem have been dropped while left-handed opener Saim Ayub, who left a huge impact in the ODI series against South Africa, will miss the Champions Trophy due to ankle injury which he sustained in the second Test against South Africa in Cape Town.
Fakhar, who had scored a century in Pakistan’s huge 180-run win over India in the final of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy in England, had been dropped for the away white-ball series for Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa due to various issues also including his fitness problems.
However, he is now in fine form, having done well in both the Champions T20 Cup in Rawalpindi and in the ILT20 in the UAE.
His inclusion in the side will not feel Pakistan too much the absence of prolific Saim who will take minimum four more weeks to recover from his ankle injury. Saim is passing through rehab in England these days.
Another notable inclusion in the side is left-handed batsman Saud Shakeel who is more famous for his test temperament and has also done well recently in the Test series against West Indies.
Saud last played ODI on November 11, 2023, against England at Eden Gardens. He has scored 317 runs in 15 ODIs he has played in his career so far.
Keeping in view the home conditions national selectors also brought in fast bowling all-rounder Faheem Ashraf for the crucial event, the first ICC event which Pakistan will be hosting after long 28 years since last hosting the ICC One-day World Cup way back in 1996 whose final was held at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
Faheem last played ODI in September 2023 against India in Colombo. National selectors, in the meantime, also tried Aamer Jamal but he did not impress that much.
Pakistan will open their Group A ICC Champions Trophy journey with their match against New Zealand on February 19 at the National Stadium Karachi.
On February 23 the Green-shirts will face arch-rivals India in Dubai before taking on Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on February 27.
The Group B carries England, South Africa, Australia and Afghanistan.
The same squad will also feature in the Tri-Nation series involving Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa.
Pakistan will face New Zealand in the opener of the Tri-Nation series on February 8 at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore. On February 10 South Africa will meet New Zealand also at the same venue. On February 12 Pakistan will lock horns with South Africa at Karachi while the final will be held on February 14 at the same venue.
Pakistan ODI squad will assemble in Lahore on February 3 to kick-start their preparation for the tri-nation series which will be a prelude to the Champions Trophy.
Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Usman Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain
Officials: Naveed Akram Cheema (team manager), Hina Munawar (team operations manager), Aqib Javed (interim head coach), Azhar Mahmood (assistant coach), Shahid Aslam (batting coach), Mohammad Masroor (fielding coach), Abdul Rehman (spin bowling coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Drikus Saiman (strength and conditioning coach), Talha Butt (analyst), Irtiza Komail (security manager), Dr Wajid Ali Rafai (team doctor), Sergio Basil Mullins (Masseur), Syed Naeem Ahmad (media and digital manager).