The selection of Khushdil Shah and Faheem Ashraf caused a great deal of anxiety once Pakistan’s Champions Trophy 2025 team was revealed. Ashraf’s final game for Pakistan was in December 2023, whereas Khushdil’s final appearance on the international scene was in 2022. Wasim Akram, a former pacer for Pakistan, was among the previous cricket players who had raised concerns about the possible selection dilemma.
It is noteworthy that Khushdil played four games in the Tri-Nation series prior to the international tournament, although his batting performance was lackluster. As an example, Ashraf only played one game and failed to reach the 30-run threshold.
That being said, Khushdil did not play in Pakistan’s opening Champions Trophy 2025 match against New Zealand.
According to the batter, he has not yet come to a conclusion regarding his induction into the team.
For the past two years, I had been out of favor with the selectors, so I wasn’t sure how I made the squad. Criticism is something you can’t stop others from speaking, so I don’t take it personally. The only response I can think of is to try my hardest and contribute to our team’s victory,” Khushdil stated, as reported by NDTV.
While fielding in the first game, Fakhar Zaman was hurt. The hitter was unable to run between the wickets in the second innings, despite coming out to bat. The opener is then declared out of the competition, and Imam Ul Haq is announced as his replacement. Pakistan’s top openers, Saim Ayub and Fakhar, are currently eliminated from the competition.
Pakistan’s updated squad for Champions Trophy 2025:
Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
India
