Pakistan’s Champions Trophy side has several surprises in it, with no back-up opener, just one specialist spinner and the comebacks of Faheem Ashraf and Khushil Shah.
Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan explained the reasons behind the selections of Faheem and Khushdil, who were not given central contracts in October. While Faheem has yet to play an ODI since the game against India in the 2023 World Cup, Khushdil played an ODI game last in 2022 before he turned out against New Zealand on Saturday.
So what prompted their selections?
“Faheem has impressive List A performances in the last two years”
Addressing the press before Pakistan’s tri-series opener against New Zealand, Rizwan laid out the reasons Faheem had been brought back into the side. “If we talk about Faheem Ashraf, if you look at his performance over the last two years in List A cricket, his average is 46. You might think he’s coming back after two years, but we decide on the team combination while picking the team. Based on that, sometimes we pick players who weren’t around for a while,” he said. “We needed a fast-bowling all-rounder at No.7. Aamer Jamal has been doing that role in Tests, but the selection committee saw his List A average of 46 and Faheem was the best choice for that.”
Faheem, who has played 34 ODIs, averages 10.66 with the bat and has picked up 26 wickets at an average of 46.30. He picked up only three wickets in his last seven ODIs for the side before being dropped. In all List A cricket since the start of the 2023 season, he has made 460 runs at an average of 38.33. His 23 wickets in 17 games have come at an average of 32.08.
Faheem was also not picked in the XI for the game against New Zealand.
“Khushdil has been in good form in the BPL”
Khushdil, a spin all-rounder, played 10 ODIs, scoring 199 runs at an average of 33.16 and picked only two scalps. However, Rizwan stated recent form as the reason for his selection. “About Khushdil Shah, look at the Bangladesh Premier League or the Champions Cup. His performance is in front of you and there is no conversation to be had about that.”
Playing for Rangpur Riders, Khushdil scored 298 runs at an average of 59.60. He also made two fifties and struck at a rate of 175.29. He also ended up picking 17 wickets at 9.94, conceding 6.03 runs an over.
Khushdil, unlike Faheem, was picked for the first New Zealand ODI but his comeback did not go as expected. He finished with 0-66 in his nine overs, with an economy rate of 7.30.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
