Asad Shafiq: “Saud Shakeel has been drafted to further bolster the batting and capitalise on his rich vein of form in Test cricket, particularly in home conditions”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan selector Asad Shafiq has high hopes for Saud Shakeel in the 2025 Champions Trophy as he expects the middle order batsman to “further bolster the batting”.
Shakeel hadn’t played ODI cricket since the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup before making his comeback in the ODI tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa.
Even though the 29-year-old has not played limited overs cricket for quite some time, he has been rock solid in Test cricket as he recently amassed 121 runs in two Tests against South Africa, which included a top score of 84, at an average of 30.25.
He then proceeded to make 131 runs in two Tests against the West Indies, which once again included a top score of 84 not out, at an average of 32.75.
“Saud Shakeel has been drafted to further bolster the batting and capitalise on his rich vein of form in Test cricket, particularly in home conditions. Moreover, he is an experienced, intelligent and calculated batter who constructs his innings thoughtfully and excels at building partnerships,” Shafiq was quoted as saying in a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) press release.
In the ODI tri-series, Shakeel scored 23 runs in two games at an average of 11.50.
He will now take part in the Champions Trophy, which will be played 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
[TS_Poll id=”161″]