Pakistan Reveals Squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025
APP
Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a 15-member squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, set to take place in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9. The squad will also compete in a tri-nation ODI series featuring New Zealand and South Africa, ahead of the prestigious tournament.
The squad includes notable returns with explosive opener Fakhar Zaman and all-rounders Faheem Ashraf and Khushdil Shah making a comeback to the national side.
Fakhar Zaman, who has been sidelined due to injury and illness since June 2024, impressed during the Champions T20 Cup 2024 in December, scoring 303 runs at a strike-rate of over 132. He will be aiming to replicate his success from the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, where he scored a century in the final against India.
Other changes in the squad include the inclusion of Saud Shakeel, who has been in strong form in home Tests, and the return of Khushdil Shah and Faheem Ashraf, both of whom have been standout performers in domestic cricket. The squad also features three players from Pakistan’s 2017 title-winning Champions Trophy side: Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, and Fakhar Zaman.
The 15-player squad, captained by Mohammad Rizwan with Salman Ali Agha as vice-captain, includes:
Batsmen: Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir
All-rounders: Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain)
Wicketkeeper-batters: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Usman Khan
Spinner: Abrar Ahmed
Fast bowlers: Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi
The squad has been assembled with a “horses for courses” approach, with selectors prioritizing players who have consistently excelled in domestic cricket under similar conditions to the ICC Champions Trophy. The inclusion of emerging talents like Abrar Ahmed and Kamran Ghulam reflects the selectors’ confidence in their ability to deliver at the international level.
Pakistan’s upcoming schedule includes the tri-nation ODI series in Lahore and Karachi, followed by the ICC Champions Trophy. The squad will assemble in Lahore on February 3 to prepare for these important fixtures.
The full schedule for Pakistan’s upcoming ODIs is as follows:
- February 8: vs New Zealand, Lahore (Tri-nation ODI series)
- February 12: vs South Africa, Karachi (Tri-nation ODI series)
- February 19: vs New Zealand, Karachi (ICC Champions Trophy 2025)
- February 23: vs India, Dubai (ICC Champions Trophy 2025)
- February 27: vs Bangladesh, Rawalpindi (ICC Champions Trophy 2025)
The Pakistan squad will be aiming to defend their Champions Trophy title on home soil after strong performances in recent ODI series, including a 2-1 victory over Australia, a 2-1 series win over Zimbabwe, and a dominant 3-0 sweep against South Africa.
