Pakistan will defend their ICC Champions Trophy with the tournament set to begin on February 19 2025. Pakistan’s squad for Champions Trophy 2025 have only three players from the title winning team in 2017. This is a new look Pakistan with a new captain, Mohammad Rizwan. Pakistan are in Group A with India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh
Pakistan is defending their ICC Champions Trophy title this year against some of the best teams across the globe. They are also hosting the event in partnership with the United Arab Emirates this year as well.
The hosts have received a mixed bag of results in recent times. There have been multiple changes in the squad and the team has struggled to find the winning combination. Their key players have been a complete failure and as the ICC Champions Trophy comes into the picture, the Pakistan cricket team comes out of the darkness to revive the quality of cricket in the country.
SWOT Analysis of Pakistan Cricket Team
Mohammad Rizwan will be the leading man for the team. He took over the responsibility in tough times last year and has come out as a new ray of hope for the team. Rizwan has played a crucial role in shaping the team for the big event and his leadership skills will bring in some positive results for the team.
The hosts have received a big blow as their key batter Saim Ayub will be missing out on the tournament because of an ankle injury. The injury occurred during Pakistan’s tour to South Africa. Abdullah Shafique, Irfan Khan, and left-arm spinner Sufiyan Muqeem are also missing out on their spots in the team. Ashraf, Fakhar, Khushdil Shah and Saud Shakeel are the replacements for the 4 players.
Fakhar Zaman is making his comeback to the team after missing out the international action for more than 6 months. He, Babar Azam, and Ashraf were part of the same squad that won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017.
Strengths :
Pakistan always had a history of having quality fast bowlers in their team and unlike every year, Pakistan’s pace attack is their biggest weapon for this tournament. The trio of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf brings sheer pace to surprise the batters. However their effectiveness on Pakistan’s pitches is still a concern for Pakistan.
Pakistan’s batting revolves around Babar Azam, one of the world’s best ODI batters. He is closing in on 6,000 ODI runs at an average of 56.73. To add more experience to the batting lineup, Pakistan have captain Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Saud Shakeel and Agha Salman. Although Shakeel and Salman don’t have that much ODI experience, they have been a part of Pakistan domestic circuit for a number of years now.
As always, Pakistan’s core strength lies in its lethal pace attack. The hosts have Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf as their key pacers. These three Pakistani pacers have done exceptionally well when it comes to white-ball cricket. Shaheen Shah Afridi was the leading wicket-taker in 2024 for Pakistan in the ODI format. He is the backbone of the team and can do wonders with the new ball.
Naseem Shah is the new swing master from Pakistan. At the young age of 21 years, Naseem is walking shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the best bowlers in the world. He has dealt with some minor setbacks because of his constant injuries but Naseem is now ready to get unleashed in the Champions Trophy.
Haris Rauf is another bowler to watch. He is a trump card for Pakistan. Haris always comes into attack during the middle overs and breaks the strong partnerships which are turning out to be a problem for the team.
There has been criticism about team selection, but they do have players, who can be destructive on their day. Fakhar Zaman had bled India in the 2017 Champions Trophy final. He, perhaps, could be more dangerous than their most celebrated batter Babar Azam. Skipper Mohammed Rizwan and designated finisher Salman Ali Agha are in fantastic form that augurs well for them.
Weaknesses :
Pakistan lacks proven middle-order batters beyond Babar and Rizwan. Babar is expected to open with Fakhar Zaman which leaves the middle-order vulnerable. The absence of Saim Ayub weakens the top order, while Usman Khan is yet to make his ODI debut. A collapse under pressure will be on the cards for Pakistan with the presence of inexperienced players like Usman Khan, Tayyab Tahir and Kamran Ghulam.
Pakistan’s fielding has improved but remains unreliable. Dropped catches and misfields have cost them crucial matches in past tournaments. They need to step up their game to compete at the highest level. Pakistan’s fielding in front of the home crowd could get criticized badly if even one catch goes bagging.
Saim Ayub’s untimely injury has pegged Pakistan back but there would be concerns about Babar’s form as well. Even in the tri-series involving New Zealand and South Africa, the returns (10, 23 and 29) have been underwhelming. Kamran Ghulam, Khushdil Shah and Tayyab Tahir will have to pull their socks up on big days. Khushdil and Faheem Ashraf are the weak links in this squad. The effectiveness of their pacers can be compromised on the flat decks at home.
The top order of Pakistan is all sorted but their weakness comes in when the game reaches the middle order. Pakistan has a very unstable middle order that has been consistent in recent times. Star players like like Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman have been a complete failure. Saud Shakeel and Tayyab Tahir are also part of their middle order but they are new in the team and if the team is under pressure, the duo might also fail to contribute.
Opportunities :
The hosts have two good all-rounders and that is their big opportunity. If the team is in trouble, Khushdil Shah and Faheem Ashraf can be the savior of the team. Faheem Ashraf has the capability to contribute runs from the lower order at a higher strike rate. He also adds tactical advantage with his ability to bowl at any point of time in the match.
Khushdil Shah is returning to the ODI format and he is a power hitter. He also carries the capability to play the spin attack successfully and can dominate the game during the middle overs.
Playing in familiar conditions gives Pakistan a significant edge. They have a golden opportunity to dominate at their home venue which will open gates for more opportunities for cricket in Pakistan. A side who is dominant at home has opportunities to invite teams for bilateral series at their home soil. Pakistan can also set standards in the Champions Trophy by defending the title.
Playing at home is certainly an advantage for Pakistan. They have a potent pace attack but there needs to be something in tracks at Karachi and Rawalpindi for the troika of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf to come good. Agha’s form in the middle-order is a big plus and also he can bowl tight off-breaks in the middle overs. Agha will be Pakistan’s ‘X Factor’ going into the tournament.
Threats :
Having just one specialist spinner in Abrar Ahmed is a risky ploy. The only other player, who can slow down things is Salman but he at the best is a part-timer or a batter, who can bowl. All-rounder Faheem Ashraf’s batting average or bowling economy rate doesn’t inspire confidence. In the tri-series, both Shaheen and Naseem have been plundered for runs.
The biggest threat to Pakistan is the failure of their experienced players. Their star batsman Babar Azam has not shown signs of his old form in recent times. He was removed from the captaincy in 2024 and that has also impacted his form in international cricket.
Since winning the 2017 Champions Trophy, Pakistan has struggled in ICC tournaments. They failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the 2019 and 2023 World Cups. Also they lost to USA in T20 World Cup 2024 in a must win game, which resulted in their elimination from the Tournament. This is the biggest threat for Pakistan to not choke in the crucial stages of the Tournament.
The pace attack is Pakistan’s biggest weapon, but their fast bowlers like Shaheen, Naseem, and Rauf all are injury prone. Looking at the other teams like India who will miss Jasprit Bumrah and Australia who will miss the pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, Pakistan’s bowling lineup is pretty strong but Injuries to their fast bowlers has to be avoided.
Pakistan enters the Champions Trophy with confidence, backed by a strong squad and home advantage. Their pace attack will be key to their success, while their batting must deliver consistently. With Rizwan’s leadership and recent form, they aim to defend their title and make a mark on the global stage once again.
Pakistan’s Squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025 : Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi.