LAHORE: Pakistan team white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan defended the selection of all-rounder Faheem Ashraf over Aamir Jamal while addressing the concerns regarding the national team’s squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on Friday.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) last week announced the squad for the mega event, marking the return of Ashraf after a two-year absence.
The 31-year-old all-rounder’s inclusion in the squad also sparked outbursts from cricket fans and former cricketers who questioned his place in the team.
While addressing the media ahead of the tri-nation series against South Africa and New Zealand, Rizwan stated that the all-rounder was selected due to his performances in List A cricket.
“If you talk about Faheem Ashraf, his performance over the last two years has been good. His List-A average is around 46,” remarked Rizwan.
“Look, sometimes people think about how a certain player is making his comeback after a few years, but we make decisions considering the team requirements.”
”We needed a fast-bowling all-rounder while Aamir Jamal was also a consideration but he [Faheem] was the best choice for us,” explained Rizwan.
Faheem Ashraf and Khushdil Shah, who had their final appearances in the ODI format in September 2023 and August 2022, respectively, were added to the team for the eight-team competition starting on 19 February.
The white-ball captain also reaffirmed the squad selection for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 by stating that as of now there aren’t any changes needed.
”The squad of Champions Trophy is in front of everyone, as of now there are no planned changes to the team,” said Rizwan.
For the unversed, Pakistan will begin their campaign in the much-anticipated Champions Trophy against New Zealand in Karachi on February 19.
They will then face India in the highly-anticipated match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on February 23.
Pakistan squad for tri-nation series, Champions Trophy 2025:
Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Usman Khan (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
READ: ‘King Karlega’: Rizwan Backs Babar Azam as Opener for Champions Trophy
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