February 7, 2025: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed the exclusion of opener Saim Ayub from the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025. Ayub, who is recovering from an injury sustained in England, will be unavailable for the tournament for the next 10 weeks, as per the ICC.
Although he will miss Pakistan’s bid to defend their Champions Trophy title at home, Ayub’s participation in the white-ball tour of New Zealand in March remains a possibility. However, his inclusion will depend on passing fitness tests and medical assessments. Pakistan’s national selection committee member Asad Shafiq expressed sympathy for Ayub’s exclusion, acknowledging how much the player had been looking forward to the event and how devastating it must be for him to miss out, especially in light of his excellent form. Shafiq emphasized that Ayub’s long-term health had been prioritized over rushed decisions.
The 2025 ICC Men’s Champions Trophy will take place in both Pakistan and the UAE. Pakistan’s squad for the tournament will be led by Mohammad Rizwan, who took over the captaincy following Babar Azam’s resignation after the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Pakistan’s Group Stage Fixtures for the tournament:
- February 19 – Pakistan vs New Zealand, Karachi.
- February 23 – Pakistan vs India, Dubai.
- February 27 – Pakistan vs Bangladesh, Rawalpindi.
Pakistan Squad for the Champions Trophy:
- Mohammad Rizwan (captain)
- Babar Azam
- Fakhar Zaman
- Kamran Ghulam
- Saud Shakeel
- Tayyab Tahir
- Faheem Ashraf
- Khushdil Shah
- Salman Ali Agha
- Usman Khan
- Abrar Ahmed
- Haris Rauf
- Mohammad Hasnain
- Naseem Shah
- Shaheen Shah Afridi