"It seems like a political selection" - Former Pakistan wicketkeeper questions all-rounder's presence in Champions Trophy 2025 squad
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Rashid Latif has slammed the inclusion of Faheem Ashraf in the squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The all-rounder last played white-ball cricket for Pakistan in the 2023 Asia Cup and has not found much success since to warrant a comeback.
Faheem Ashraf was one of the few surprise inclusions in the squad, which was announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after a significant delay. The all-rounder was not part of the Men in Green's recent away ODI assignments in Australia and South Africa.
He played for the Dolphins in the Champions T20 Cup in December 2024. In the domestic competition, he took six wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of 7.76. The 31-year-old is also playing for the Fortune Barishal in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). He is currently the second-highest wicket-taker (20) in the tournament, only behind Taskin Ahmed (25).
"It seems a political selection. Faheem has no recent performance to warrant a selection, and his record isn't impressive," Latif told Telecomasia.net (via The Times of India).
"This squad includes players like Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, and Saud Shakeel, who were not part of the system on the last three tours. Now, it is up to captain Mohammad Rizwan to select the best XI, just as Imran Khan did in 1992 and Younis Khan in 2009," he added
Faheem Ashraf has played 34 ODIs on an on-and-off basis since his debut in 2017. He has taken 26 wickets at an average of 46.30 and an economy of 5.18. With the bat, he has scored 224 runs at an average of 10.66 and a strike rate of 81.75.
"I think Babar will be useful as an opener" - Rashid Latif backs a revamp to Pakistan's top order in Saim Ayub's absence
Pakistan were dealt with a huge blow after Saim Ayub twisted his ankle during the Test series against South Africa last month. The young opening batter will not be fit in time for the Champions Trophy, leaving the team in need of reinforcement at the top of the order.
Kamran Ghulam's smooth start to his international career in the middle order has given Pakistan the luxury of thinking about promoting Babar Azam to the top.
"I think Babar will be useful as an opener, but the main issue is who will take wickets in the 11-20 and 31-40 over phases. That has been Pakistan’s weakness, as we suffered in the 2023 World Cup in those areas," Latif said in the same interview.
Babar Azam has opened the batting twice in ODI cricket, with both instances coming in the 2015 series against England. He scored 26 runs in two innings at a strike rate of 72.22.