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Pakistan ace pacer Shaheen Afridi castled out his teammate Babar Azam in an intra-squad practice match on Tuesday (February 4). The Pakistan players selected for the upcoming Champions Trophy are currently training intensely in a preparatory camp to get ready for the ICC tournament.
The country's premier batter, Babar Azam, did not have a good outing during the practice match as Shaheen Afridi dismissed him for a duck with a wonderful delivery in the first over. The former captain was trapped Leg Before Wicket (LBW) by the left-arm-pacer with a full inswinger at the pads. The umpire raised the finger quickly after a strong appeal from Shaheen and his teammates.
You can watch the dismissal in the video below:
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Pakistan's squad for Champions Trophy: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Babar Azam likely to open with Fakhar Zaman for Pakistan in ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Pakistan recently announced their 15-man squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which comprised only one specialist opener in Fakhar Zaman. Saim Ayub has been forced to miss the tournament due to an injury he picked up during the South Africa tour.
In his absence, the team management might look at the likes of Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel to partner with Fakhar Zaman at the top of the order during the Champions Trophy.
Speaking on the matter, Pakistan team selector Asad Shafiq said: (as quoted by ICC):
"Fakhar’s opening partner could be either Babar or Saud Shakeel, depending on various factors such as conditions, opposition and match strategy.
"Both players are highly capable at the top of the order, with Babar being particularly seasoned in the role, regularly opening in T20Is and also excelling in the Cape Town Test by scoring two half-centuries in Saim Ayub’s absence."
Do you think Pakistan will defend the Champions Trophy? Let us know your predictions in the comments section.
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