Pakistan are the proud hosts of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. They won the title in the previous edition beating India in the final. Heading into this tournament, they played a tri-series alongside South Africa and New Zealand and they lost the final.
The Champions Trophy matches will be played in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi apart from Dubai hosting the matches for India. The local players are well-acquainted with all three venues.
The recent series has seen a few of their batters score runs. However, Babar Azam, their greatest batter of this generation is yet to find form and this is a major concern for the side. A few of their senior players were rested for the Tri-Series are now fit to play the tournament.
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Pakistan nearly lost out on the hosting rights of the Champions Trophy. The ICC was dissatisfied with the slow progress of work of the three stadiums where the matches will be played. However, the PCB have somehow made the arrangements on time and Pakistan have been able to remain the proud hosts for the moment.
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Talking about the Pakistan national cricket team, which team walks out to play the matches will be a difficult thing to predict. Pakistan as a cricket team have been always an unpredictable but strong team. Many say that the Pakistan team is a mercurial cricket team who are not very sure of their own strengths and weaknesses. Thus playing in home conditions they should be among the favourites to win the tournament but that is not the case.
Pakistan's Selected 15 For ICC Champions Trophy
Mohammad Rizwan (C/WK), Salman Ali Agha, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Saud Shakeel, Kamran Ghulam, Khushdil Shah, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Muhammad Hasnain and Abrar Ahmed
The side has a few concerns with form and fitness. Haris Rauf was rested for the Tri-Series. Â He who got injured during the opening clash against New Zealand at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, has been rested for the remainder of the series as a precautionary measure ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Babar Azam's form is a major concern. He scored 10, 23 and 29 in the three games in the tri-series. He last scored a century for Pakistan in ODIs in ICC World Cup 2023. Apart from that the side has picked up just one regular spinner in Abrar Ahmed. Shadab Khan, one of their premier spinners in white-ball cricket has been overlooked for the tournament. Meanwhile, Fakhar Zaman was recalled for the tri-series and the Champions Trophy.
Given the players they have chosen for the event, how they make up their playing XI will be an interesting observation. They need to find the right balance as they have specific players for specific roles.
Probable Playing 11
Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan(w/c), Usman Khan, Salman Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed
Bowling Attack Analysis
Among all the teams playing in this tournament, Pakistan certainly boasts the best pace attack in home conditions. This can be safely asserted after Australia are missing the likes of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood and India missing Jasprit Bumrah. They are great exponents of the reverse swing and all of them bowl with good pace. How effective they become will depend on the kind of pitches prepared for the tournament. Pakistan recently chased down over 350 runs against South Africa. This also means that they can give that many runs to the opposition as well. There is a very fine line between the ability of these bowlers and what they can execute.
Batting Attack Analysis
The batting has the necessary firepower with Fakhar Zaman opening the batting and the likes of Mohd Rizwan and Babar Azam playing anchor roles. Usman Khan is a hard-hitter in the middle-order. He has proved his credentials with the bat and has a strike rate close to 150 in T20Is. He can be a good option at number five or six with Iftikhar Ahmed not a part of this Champions Trophy squad. Faheem Ashraf provides the batting depth at number seven. Saud Shakeel and Salman Ali Agha are also good batters who can play as per the situation. If the batters bat according to the talent they have, Pakistan can reap great benefits.
Final Rating: 7/10
Given the mercurial nature of the Pakitan cricket team, they are always there and thereabouts in ICC events. They reached the knockout stages of the T20 World Cup 2021 and 2022. In the T20 World Cup 2024, they were not able to replicate their 2021 and 2022 heroics. Since winning the 2017 Champions Trophy, Pakistan have not made it to the knockouts of an ICC event. Playing at home, this is their big opportunity to win a major ICC event. Don't forget they are the defending champions of the Champions Trophy.
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