Pakistan has unveiled a shocking squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025, set to be played on home soil. The selection committee has made bold calls, recalling Khushdil Shah and Faheem Ashraf, both of whom have impressed in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2024-25. Additionally, Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Hasnain have also made their way back into the squad.

Faheem Ashraf and Khushdil Shah have been in sensational form in the BPL, making strong cases for their national comeback. Faheem, playing for Fortune Barishal, has been a standout performer with the ball, currently the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament. He has taken 20 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 13.90. His contributions with the bat have been equally vital—scoring 102 runs at a blistering strike rate of 231.81 with a batting average of 34.

Meanwhile, Khushdil Shah, representing Rangpur Riders, has been a match-winner on multiple occasions. He has scored 298 runs in 8 innings across 10 matches while also making an impact with the ball, taking 17 wickets.

Legendary former cricketer Wasim Akram has voiced his surprise at the selection of Faheem and Khushdil, given their recent international form. During an ILT20 broadcast, Wasim commented, "Faheem Ashraf has been selected in this squad but in the last few months his batting average is 8 while his bowling average is 100. Apart from this, Khushdil Shah's performance has also not been good and we have selected only one spinner but India has selected 4 spinners."

Pakistan will kick off their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign against New Zealand on February 19. Wasim Akram believes Pakistan has the potential to go far in the tournament but acknowledges the challenge ahead, "I would love Pakistan to win. Obviously, being a Pakistani. But look, it won’t be easy. Top 8 teams in world cricket are playing. And they are playing quite a few games. A big game is here in Dubai. India-Pakistan game is in Dubai. My gut feeling is that they (Pakistan) must come to the semi-finals. Then we will see what happens after that."

With a controversial squad selection and a high-stakes tournament ahead, all eyes will be on Pakistan’s performance in the Champions Trophy 2025.