ICC Champions Trophy 2025: No Saim Ayub as Pakistan announces squad for title-defence
ICC Champions Trophy 2025: No Saim Ayub as Pakistan announces squad for title-defence
Defending champion, on Friday, announced its 15-member squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, with Mohammad Rizwan set to led the team as it starts its title defence against New Zealand next month.
A major absentee in the squad, however was young opener Saim Ayub, who has been turning heads in the Test series against South Africa, scoring two centuries in the One Day Internationals last year. However, an ankle injury picked up in Cape Town ruled him out of the tournament.
“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 told ICC.
“However, as a valuable asset to our team, we are committed to prioritising his long-term health over making any rushed decisions.”
Pakistan, which won the last edition of the tournament, eight years ago, is co-hosting the Champions Trophy with the United Arab Emirates, with all of India’s games scheduled in Dubai.
