The ICC Champions Trophy will be held from February 19 to March 9 next month. Pakistan, as both the host nation and the defending champion, is preparing for the mega event. All seven participating nations, besides Pakistan, have already announced their 15-member squads for the tournament.
Pakistan is currently awaiting the medical report of young batter Saim Ayub, who was injured during the Test match against South Africa in Cape Town at the start of January and is now receiving treatment in London.
The selection committee is still in consultation to finalize Pakistan’s 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy. Sources have revealed that if Saim Ayub is not fit, the selectors have decided to bring in a replacement, and in that case, the squad announced for the upcoming tri-nation series before the Champions Trophy will be the same as the one for the Champions Trophy.
It is expected that out-of-form Abdullah Shafiq and Usman Khan may be dropped from the squad. Sources have also indicated that Fakhar Zaman’s inclusion in the squad is certain, while the names of Imam-ul-Haq and Hasibullah are also being considered.
The potential squad members include Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Salman Ali Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Irfan Khan, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Abrar Ahmed, and Sufyan Maqeem.
It is important to note that Pakistan has submitted the names of 20 players to the ICC for the preliminary squad for the Champions Trophy, including Saim Ayub.
The ICC has set a deadline of February 11 for the final squad announcement, while the tri-nation ODI series between Pakistan, South Africa, and New Zealand will begin on February 8.