Daijiworld Media Release – Mumbai
Mumbai, Feb 2: Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has strongly criticized the squad announced for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, calling it a ‘political selection.’ He blamed the national selection committee for making unexpected choices, raising eyebrows over some inclusions.
The squad, revealed on Friday, saw all-rounder Faheem Ashraf making a surprising comeback after two years on the sidelines. His sudden inclusion has sparked debate, with an old picture of him meeting former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resurfacing, fuelling speculation about his selection route.
“It looks like a politically motivated selection,” Latif alleged while speaking to Telecomasia.net. “Faheem has neither recent performances nor an impressive record to justify his return.”
Once a top contender for Pakistan’s white-ball team, Ashraf’s form had declined. His ODI stats reflect this: in 34 ODIs, he has taken only 26 wickets at an average of 46.30, while his batting record stands at a mere 10.66 across 24 innings, with a highest score of 28.
Sources revealed that Aamer Jamal was initially the preferred choice but was dropped at the last minute to accommodate Ashraf. Other surprises include the return of all-rounder Khushdil Shah and wicketkeeper-batter Usman Khan, who is yet to make his ODI debut.
Latif questioned the selectors’ approach, pointing out that Pakistan had successfully tested several new players on their tours of Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, only for them to be overlooked.
“The squad includes players like Ashraf, Fakhar, and Saud Shakeel, who were not in the system during the last three tours. Now, it’s up to captain Mohammad Rizwan to pick the best playing XI, just as Imran Khan did in 1992 and Younis Khan in 2009,” he remarked.
Latif also expressed hope that promoting Babar Azam as an opener would be a successful gamble. However, he raised concerns about Pakistan’s bowling strategy in the crucial middle overs.
“I think Babar will do well as an opener, but the bigger issue is who will take wickets between overs 11-20 and 31-40. That was our Achilles’ heel in the 2023 World Cup,” he added.
Former Pakistan pacer Tanveer Ahmed minced no words in his criticism, labelling the squad selection as a "joke."
“We have picked a squad that doesn’t suit our own conditions,” Tanveer told Telecomasia.net. “Look at India—they have four quality spinners in Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel. And what do we have? Just one—Abrar Ahmed!”
He accused the selectors of favoritism, claiming, “This is a ‘perchi’ (recommendation-based) selection, and the selection committee will be responsible for its consequences. There was no need to tamper with the squad that performed so well on the last three tours.”
Pakistan recently made history by winning their first ODI series in Australia in 22 years, clinching a 2-1 victory. They also secured a 2-1 win in Zimbabwe and swept South Africa 3-0.
Tanveer slammed the decision to drop Sufiyan Moqeem despite his recent performances and questioned the exclusion of a specialist opener like Imam-ul-Haq. He also mocked selector Asad Shafiq’s vague statement regarding Fakhar Zaman’s opening partner.
“Fakhar’s partner could be Babar Azam or Saud Shakeel, depending on conditions, opposition, and match strategy,” Asad Shafiq was quoted as saying in the PCB’s official release.
Pakistan kicks off their champions trophy campaign against New Zealand in Karachi on February 19. Their high-voltage clash against arch-rivals India is scheduled for February 23 in Dubai, followed by their final league match against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on February 27.