Former Pakistan pacer Tanveer Ahmed questioned the inclusion of Faheem Ashraf in the national team for the much-anticipated ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Tanveer Ahmed while appearing on a TV show stated that the all-rounder was included in the squad despite his poor performance in his last 20 One Day Internationals (ODIs).
“He has just nine wickets in the last 20 innings, a batting average of only 10 in his last 34 innings and still he is included in Pakistan’s squad,” the former pacer said.
However, his co-host then mentioned that the allrounder’s performance in List A cricket in 2023-24 has played a pivotal role in his selection for the Champions Trophy.
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According to the co-host, the allrounder scored 454 runs in 11 innings at an average of 44 and took 19 wickets in 14 innings in List A cricket.
On the contrary, Tanveer Ahmed was of the view that Faheem Ashraf’s stats in international cricket mattered more than his List A record.
The former pacer also highlighted that opening batter Imam ul Haq and allrounder Aamer Jamal were not included in the squad despite better performances in domestic cricket.
Earlier, several former players including legendary cricketer Wasim Akram expressed their reservations about the inclusion of Faheem Ashraf and Khushdil Shah in the Champions Trophy squad.
It is worth noting here that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on January 31 announced the Pakistan squad for the upcoming tri-nation series with New Zealand and South Africa and the Champions Trophy 2025.
Opening batter Fakhar Zaman made a return to the 15-member Pakistan squad alongside all-rounders Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf and batter Saud Shakeel.
Pakistan Squad for Tri-Nation Series and ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Mohammad Rizwan (wk)(c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Saud Shakeel, Naseem Shah, Tayyab Tahir, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Kamran Ghulam, Muhammad Hasnain, Usman Khan, Haris Rauf.
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