• Home
  • Cricket Analysis
  • No Haris Rauf Rizwan To Be Captain 3 Bold Calls Pakistan Should Take Before Champions Trophy

No Haris Rauf; Rizwan To Be Captain? 3 Bold Calls Pakistan Should Take Before Champions Trophy

Haris Rauf-(X.com)Haris Rauf-(X.com)

Pakistan cricket is at an all-time low as they faced embarrassment in the recently concluded ICC events. 

Firstly, Pakistan bowed out of the 2023 World Cup in the group stages, following which there was a huge uproar over Babar Azam's captaincy, which led to him stepping down from the role. 

Major changes were announced within PCB, but none of them worked as the Men in Green lost away series' under Shaheen Afridi and Shan Masood's captaincy, which forced the PCB to return to Babar as their regular white-ball. 

However, that move too didn't go according to plan as Pakistan crashed out of T20 World Cup 2024 in the group stages. 

Now, the Champions Trophy is less than seven months away and Pakistan are set to host the mega-ICC event. 

The row over the hosting rights issue is between the PCB and BCCI to resolve, but the Men in Green need to focus on their cricket to perform well in the Champions Trophy 2025. 

Given the recent results, there will be several chops and changes within the team, and this article is to shed light on the three potential bold calls Babar And Co. might make for Champions Trophy 2025. 

1.Haris Rauf's Ouster From ODI Team

Haris Rauf-(X.com)Haris Rauf-(X.com)

Pakistan team is full of talented bowlers and Haris Rauf is one of them. In the past few years, Rauf alongside Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah have formed a force to reckon with. However, in the past year, Rauf's economy has gone for a toss.

As seen in the 2023 World Cup and T20 World Cup 2024, Rauf was among the wickets but leaked way too many runs that hurt Pakistan in the limited format. 

It is also safe to say that Rauf's morale is also on a low and Pakistan have several other options to replace Haris Rauf. 

A few of the contenders to replace Rauf are Mohammad Wasim jr, and even Naseem Shah's brother Ubaid Shah, who made a name for himself in the U-19 World Cup 2024, can also be given a national call-up as there are seven months for Champions Trophy 2025.

2. Saim Ayub And Abrar Ahmed To Bring In Aggressive Intent

Ayub- (X.com)Ayub- (X.com)

One of the biggest criticisms of the Pakistan cricket team in the recent past is that they have not evolved the pace of their game with time. Their slow content has always come under scanner, as the likes of Imam-ul-Haq, Babar, and Mohammed Rizwand are often accused of slow knocks. 

Thus, Pakistan might push for Saim Ayub to become a regular opener as he brings in the intent that other batters lack. Further, Abrar Ahmed can also prove to be a spin-bowling option for the Men in Green, as they lack a proper spinner in the fifty-over format.  

3. Change In Captaincy

Rizwan and Babar-(X.com)Rizwan and Babar-(X.com)

Babar was given the role to lead the Pakistan side, but after the T20 World Cup debacle, there have been doubts over his position as captain as well. There is a lot of time left for the Champion Trophy 2025, but a few more series of defeats can result in Babar being stripped of captaincy.

It is unlikely that PCB might look towards Shaheen again for the captain's role, particularly after his misbehaviour with the coaches. Thus, Mohammad Rizwan emerges as one of the strong contenders, as he should be given one chance to prove his worth as a leader.