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3 Unlucky Players In Pakistan Squad Who Might Not Play A Single Champions Trophy Game

Debashis Sarangi∙ Updated: Feb 1 2025, 5:00 PM

Pakistan have announced their Champions Trophy squad [Source: @Rnawaz31888/X]Pakistan have announced their Champions Trophy squad [Source: @Rnawaz31888/X]

Yesterday evening, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a formidable 15-man squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy and ODI Tri-series. While the return of Fakhar Zaman was a massive highlight of the selection, the likes of Saud Shakeel, Faheem Ashraf and Khushdil Shah managed to receive a recall into the ODI setup. 

Meanwhile, there are several players who might not get a single opportunity in Pakistan's playing XI for the Champions Trophy, as mentioned below. 

1. Mohammad Hasnain

  • Mohammad Hasnain has played 14 ODIs for Pakistan, scalping 17 wickets at an ordinary average of 40.2. However, a breakthrough domestic season led to his ODI comeback, as he eventually booked a place in Pakistan's Champions Trophy squad. 
  • Nevertheless, Pakistan will likely prefer Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf as their frontline pacers. While Shaheen and Naseem are incredible operators of the new ball, Rauf has an edge over Hasnain thanks to his pace and hit-the-deck bowling. Therefore, in all likelihood, Hasnain might not play a single match in the Champions Trophy. 

2. Usman Khan

  • Hailed for his scintillating stroke play, Usman Khan has been a force to reckon with the bat in Pakistan's domestic circuit. He has played 12 List-A matches, scoring 681 runs at an average of 75.66 and a strike rate of 117.61. 
  • However, he hasn't played a single ODI for Pakistan and managed to secure a place in the Champions Trophy squad due to Saim Ayub's injury concern. As Pakistan are likely to prefer Saud Shakeel and Kamran Ghulam for the batters' slots, Usman Khan might not get a game in the Champions Trophy. 

3. Tayyab Tahir

  • Right-handed batter Tayyab Tahir has remarkable numbers in List-A cricket. The 31-year-old has amassed 3353 runs at an average of 47.22 and a strike rate of 87.47 in 76 List-A innings. 
  • Despite being a good player of pace and spin, Tahir might be ignored by Pakistan, as the hosts will likely slot Mohammad Rizwan and Agha Salman at four and five, respectively, the two most favourable batting positions for him. 
  • Also, with Kamran Ghulam showing versatility as a batter, Tayyab Tahir might emerge as one of the players with no game time in the Champions Trophy.