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BIRMINGHAM: The Pakistan Champions team hit the ground running with a first training session here on Thursday ahead of their opening game in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025.
Pakistan Champions sharpened their bowling, batting, and fielding skills ahead of their opening match against England Champions, set to be played tomorrow at the iconic Edgbaston Cricket Ground. The game will begin at 8:00 pm PKT.
Former captain Mohammad Hafeez will lead the side in his WCL debut season, taking over from Younis Khan, who is not part of the squad this time around. Another senior name missing from the lineup is Misbah-ul-Haq.
Among the fresh faces, wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed, all-rounder Imad Wasim, and left-arm pacer Rumman Raees join Umar Amin as key additions.
Meanwhile, the core of the team, including Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, and Wahab Riaz, remains intact.
Following the opening match, the Pakistan Champions will face their arch-rivals and defending Champions, India, in their second match.
They will face South Africa on 25 July before taking on the West Indies on 26 July. The runners-up of the last tournament will play their final fixture against Australia on 29 July.
For the unversed, the WCL 2025 will be contested across four English venues: Edgbaston (Birmingham), County Ground (Northampton), Grace Road (Leicester), and Headingley (Leeds).
Six teams, India, Pakistan, Australia, England, South Africa, and the West Indies, will face off in a round-robin format, with the top four teams qualifying for the semi-finals.
The upcoming edition marks the second installment of the WCL, following the inaugural tournament held in 2024, where the Indian team, led by the legendary Yuvraj Singh, emerged as champions.
During the inaugural season, Younis Khan-led Pakistan were among the standout teams, producing dominant performances throughout the group stage.
Despite a spirited effort, Pakistan Champions fell just short in the final against arch-rivals India. After setting a target of 157, they couldn’t prevent India from chasing it down with five wickets and five balls to spare.
Pakistan Champions squad for WCL 2025
Mohammad Hafeez (c), Shoaib Malik, Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Amin, Sharjeel Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed (WK), Shahid Afridi, Asif Ali, Aamer Yamin, Wahab Riaz, Rumman Raees, Sohail Tanvir, Sohail Khan.
READ: WATCH: Pakistan Champions squad arrives in England for WCL 2025
