Pakistan have announced their squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which begins from February 19 in the UAE and Pakistan.

Pakistan are the defending champions of this showpiece event, having won the mega event back in 2017 beating their arch-rivals India. Wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan will lead a 15-member squad in the tournament.

Batting prodigy Saim Ayub has been ruled out of the Champions Trophy due to his ankle injury, which he sustained in South Africa.

"We understand how much he was looking forward to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and recognise how devastating it must be for him to miss a global event, especially when he is in such exceptional batting form," Asad Shafiq, a member of the National Selection Committee explained.

"However, as a valuable asset to our team, we are committed to prioritising his long-term health over making any rushed decisions."

Top order batter Fakhar Zaman is back into the squad. He played a massive role in 2017 ICC Champions Trophy final against India, scoring a blistering knock of 114 off only 106 deliveries at the Oval, as Pakistan beat India by 180 runs.

"Fakhar’s opening partner could be either Babar Azam or Saud Shakeel, depending on various factors such as conditions, opposition and match strategy," Shafiq said.

"Both players are highly capable at the top of the order, with Babar being particularly seasoned in the role, regularly opening in T20Is and also excelling in the Cape Town Test by scoring two half-centuries in Saim Ayub’s absence."

Pakistan squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Mohammad Rizwan (Captain and wicketkeeper), 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.