 "Champions Trophy 2025: With Saim Ayub virtually ruled out, Pakistan squad likely next week?")
Pakistan is the only cricket side yet to announce their squad for the Champions Trophy 2025 which starts on 19 February in Karachi. The final Champions Trophy 2025 lists need to be sent to the International Cricket Council (ICC) by February 11, however, the deadline for the submission of provisional squads was 12 January, which is when most of the teams announced their squads.
India and Pakistan were the only two sides to announce their squads before 12 January. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) eventually announced the squads on 18 January .
Pakistan’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad to come next week?
A report in Pakistan’s DAWN now states that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) can announce the Champions Trophy 2025 squad at the end of the ongoing Pakistan vs West Indies 2nd Test at Multan . The Pakistan vs West Indies 2nd Test is scheduled from 25-29 January but the match can finish early as well.
The Pakistan squad for the upcoming tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa will also be released along with the Champions Trophy 2025 side, the DAWN report said.
The tri-series is a curtain-raiser for the Champions Trophy 2025, the first ICC event Pakistan has hosted since the 1996 ODI World Cup. It will start on 8 February with a match between Pakistan and New Zealand in Lahore.
The first match of the Champions Trophy 2025 is also between Pakistan and New Zealand on 19 February. The Men in Green will play against India on 23 February in Dubai.
In addition to India’s matches in Dubai under a hybrid model, all Champions Trophy 2025 matches will take place in Pakistan, in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsWhat caused delay in announcing Pakistan’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad?
It has been felt that 22-year-old Saim Ayub’s injury was behind the inadvertent delay . The young batter suffered an ankle injury while fielding in the second Test against South Africa in Cape Town earlier this month. He later visited doctors in London for his treatment after being advised six weeks of rest .
Ayub has three centuries in just nine ODIs and an average of 64.37. Pakistan desperately wanted him to be fit for the India match but PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has now virtually confirmed that the left-hander is set to miss the ICC event.
“I do not want to jeopardize his future by rushing his return for the Champions Trophy 2025. Saim Ayub is a valuable asset for us, and, God willing, he will recover soon," he said while talking to the media recently.
Mohsin Naqvi said, "Saim Ayub's leg cast will come off in 1-2 days. After that, he will enter the recovery phase, which will take time. I don't want to put his future at risk because of one Champions Trophy."pic.twitter.com/btACyvXToc
— Sheri. (@CallMeSheri1_) January 26, 2025
This means the path is now clear for the Pakistan selectors to announce the Champions Trophy 2025 squad once the ongoing second Test in Multan concludes.
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