Shan Masood Backup for Babar Azam

The Pakistan cricket team is all set to make significant changes to its squad for the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy, with Babar Azam likely to open with Fakhar Zaman, and possibly bat at number 3, replacing Saim Ayub due to an ankle injury. This move could see Kamran Ghulam bat at number 3, while Imam-ul-Haq and Shan Masood are being considered as backup options for the opening slots.

Babar Azam has experience opening in T20Is and has also opened in Tests, but his most successful ODI performances have come at numbers 3 and 4. The team will also include key players like Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf. Abdullah Shafique, who struggled in 2024 white-ball cricket, is expected to be excluded from the squad, making way for all-rounder Khushdil Shah, who is likely to make a return to the squad, providing much-needed explosiveness to the middle order.

The squad for the 2025 ICC Men's Champions Trophy has been finalized and will take on New Zealand in their first match in Karachi on February 19. The team consists of Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Salman Ali Agha, Khushdil Shah, Kamran Ghulam, Abrar Ahmed, Sufiyan Maqeem, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah. The list has been sent to PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi for final approval and is expected to be announced within a couple of days.

With the team's final squad announced, fans are eagerly waiting to see how the new combinations will perform in the upcoming tournament. The inclusion of Shan Masood as a backup option for the opening slots provides a strong alternative, given his experience and skills in the field.