Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq: “Not the outcome I expected, but the journey isn’t over. This is how life is – it’s all about growth and getting stronger with every hurdle. Patience and trust in Allah is the key”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan opening batsman Imam-ul-Haq expressed his disappointment over not being selected for the 2025 Champions Trophy, saying it was “not the outcome I expected”.
According to reports, Imam was in the race to replace Saim Ayub in the Pakistan team after he was ruled out of the tournament with a fractured ankle, which he sustained during the two-Test series against South Africa.
However, the 29-year-old failed to make the cut and Fakhar Zaman is expected to open with either Babar Azam or Saud Shakeel, according to national selector Asad Shafiq.
Despite being gutted, Imam has vowed to keep working hard as he knows “the journey isn’t over”.
“Not the outcome I expected, but the journey isn’t over. This is how life is – it’s all about growth and getting stronger with every hurdle. Patience and trust in Allah is the key,” he said on Instagram as quoted by A Sports.
Imam has been in outstanding form in domestic cricket as of late as in the Champions T20 Cup, he scored 256 runs in nine matches for the Lions, which included two fifties, at an average of 32 and a strike-rate of 136.17.
He also dominated in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, finishing as the third-highest run-scorer with 635 runs in five games for Multan Region, which included three centuries and a fifty, at an average of 79.37.
Pakistan recently played an ODI tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa, where they lost to the Black Caps in the final.
Next up for the men in green will be the Champions Trophy, which will take place from February 19 to March 9.
Pakistan Squad for 2025 Champions Trophy: Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah