Pakistan had a memorable start to their Australian tour, securing a historic series win over the hosts in the three-match ODI series. Led by Mohammad Rizwan, the Men in Green showcased exemplary skill and resilience to stun the mighty Aussies, drubbing them by two-one in their backyard.
Pakistan have been superb across departments since Mohammad Rizwan took over the reins from his predecessor Babar Azam. Their successful outing in the Australia ODIs is a testament to their remarkable development in the 50-over format.
The Australia series was a dress rehearsal for Pakistan to get their combination right before the Champions Trophy. Although they have rested several key players for the Zimbabwe ODIs, the bilateral series against South Africa and the home Tri-Series involving the Proteas and New Zealand will be their final dress rehearsal before the marquee event on home soil.
So, as the Champions Trophy approaches, let’s analyse and find out what could be Pakistan’s probable squad for the showpiece tournament.
Saim Ayub To Retain His Place; Fakhar Zaman To Be Recalled?
Swashbuckling opener Saim Ayub was impressive in the recently concluded ODI series against Australia. Despite his inconsistency, the southpaw has been given a long rope in white-ball cricket and will likely retain his place if he sustains his dream run in ODIs.
Mohammad Rizwan will lead the team, considering his prolific recent success as captain. With Babar Azam spearheading the batting department, the likes of Kamran Ghulam, Agha Salman, Arafat Minhas and Irfan Khan Niazi will likely retain their place in the ODI side.
In a bold move, Pakistan might recall explosive batter Fakhar Zaman if he resolves his fitness issues before the Champions Trophy. The left-handed batter has enjoyed stellar success in ODIs and will certainly add quality and depth to Pakistan’s batting order.
Shaheen, Haris Rauf And Naseem Shah To Lead Pakistan’s Bowling Attack
Regarding Pakistan’s bowling department, the newly number-one ranked Shaheen Afridi will spearhead the attack alongside Haris Rauf, who ran riot with the ball in the Australia ODIs. Aamir Jamal and Mohammad Hasnain will likely be picked as the reserve seamers, with Mohammad Wasim Jr getting a place among the reserves. Apart from the speedster, all-rounder Qasim Akram and keeper-batter Haseebullah seem the front-runner to be among the standby players.
Pakistan’s Probable Squad For Champions Trophy 2025
Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (C/WK), Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Agha Salman, Aamir Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Irfan Khan Niazi, Naseem Shah, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Shaheen Afridi
Reserve Players: Qasim Akram, Haseebullah (WK), Mohammad Wasim Jr