Tag: Champions Trophy 2025

England batter Ben Duckett faced an injury scare in the third One Day International against India ahead of the highly-anticipated ICC Champions Trophy 2025, set to commence on 19 February in Pakistan.

India hammered England in the third ODI by 142 runs and swept the series 3-0 on Wednesday, courtesy of Shubman Gill’s sparkling century.

The visitors finished the horrible tour with only one victory across three ODIs and five T20 Internationals.

The left-hand batter, who scored 34 off 22 balls in the last match of the disastrous tour for England, limped severely after the first innings. This added to the team’s ongoing injury concerns.

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According to the reports, the 30-year-old opener tweaked his groin toward the end of the Indian innings. Duckett, who scored 65 in the second ODI and showed good form on the tour, has been the mainstay for England in both white-ball and red-ball matches over the two years.

It is also pertinent to mention that England’s team is already facing injury scares as their pace bowlers, Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, and Jamie Overton were sidelined from the match due to niggles in hot conditions, adding to team challenges.

Moreover, England’s emerging all-rounder Jacob Bethell has already been ruled of the ICC Champions Trophy after sustaining a hamstring injury on a recently completed India tour.

Furthermore, their wicket-keeper batter, Jamie Smith has also sustained a calf injury and was unavailable for the ODI series.

For the unversed, England will kick off their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign against Australia in Lahore on February 22 before playing Afghanistan at the same venue four days later.

They will then face South Africa in Karachi on March 1.

The ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy will kick off on 19 February, with host and defending champions Pakistan taking on New Zealand in the curtain-raiser in Karachi’s National Bank Stadium.

The eight-team tournament will consist of 15 matches over 19 days and will take place in Pakistan and Dubai.

England’s updated Champions Trophy squad:

Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood

READ: Pakistan trio fined for breaching ICC Code of Conduct in South Africa clash

Former Indian wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel has backed the Afghanistan cricket team to surprise the world during the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, set to commence on 19 February in Pakistan.

Patel, during a media interaction, stated that Afghanistan could be the dark horse of the mega event while predicting the final four teams.

“There’ll be India, Pakistan, South Africa, and Australia just given the record in the ICC trophies,” said Patel.

“But my dark horse is Afghanistan. They’ve got they’ve played really good cricket in the 50-over format.

“It was just that Glenn Maxwell’s innings otherwise I think they were right there in the race to reach the semifinals [of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023]. So you know Afghanistan could come in and surprise all other teams.”

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It’s worth noting that the ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy will kick off on 19 February with host and defending champions Pakistan taking on New Zealand in the curtain-raiser in Karachi’s National Bank Stadium.

Afghanistan will kick off their campaign with a clash against South Africa at Karachi’s newly renovated National Bank Stadium on February 21, before they face England and Australia at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.

For the unversed, Afghanistan’s performance in white-ball cricket has been strong recently — finishing sixth in the ICC ODI World Cup in 2023 and reaching the semi-final in last year’s T20 World Cup.

Afghanistan beat England and Pakistan in the ODI World Cup and Australia and New Zealand in the T20 World Cup.

Afghanistan squad for Champions Trophy 2025

Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah (vc), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharote, Noor Ahmad, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Naveed Zadran and Farid Ahmad Malik.

READ: Babar Azam eyes major milestone in tri-nation series final against New Zealand

Former Pakistan captain and wicket-keeper Sarfaraz Ahmed predicted his semi-finalists for the much-anticipated ICC Champions Trophy 2025, set to commence on 19 February in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.

Sarfaraz named defending champions Pakistan, India, Australia, and Afghanistan as the four teams qualifying for the semi-finals.

“If I had to pick four teams that will go in semi-finals, I would probably choose Pakistan, India, Australia, and Afghanistan, but I would not rule any team out,” said the former skipper.

The 2017 title-winning captain also shed light on playing on home turf for Pakistan, lauding the high expectations from fans.

“Playing at home and being the defending champions will surely add pressure; there will be high expectations, but the fans will get behind them,” he stated.

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The former captain praised the Afghanistan team and considered them a strong contender in the Champions Trophy.

“It is a stacked field; every team can win it. I think Afghanistan has a strong team. Their spin options are so good, and you will need that to succeed in these conditions,” he remarked.

While reflecting on the current Pakistani squad, the wicket-keeper backed the team and said that the Men in Green have a good chance of defending the title.

“Pakistan have a good chance of defending the title, and I think they have a strong team,” said Sarfaraz.

“Some of the players from 2017 are still there, and we’re talking about some of the best – especially Babar Azam,” he said.

He also highlighted the importance of Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman in the team, calling them a vital cog in the team’s success.

“He is a different Babar to the one that played in 2017, a more mature and dominant player. His batting will be so important for Pakistan, and so will Fakhar Zaman’s,” he added.

The former captain emphasized the importance of Pakistan’s bowling attack, naming Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf as two of the world’s best fast bowlers.

“With the ball, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf are brilliant bowlers and are playing well,” said Sarfaraz.

Sarfaraz Ahmed termed the match between Pakistan and India as one of the most anticipated games in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 while acknowledging the pressure surrounding the encounter.

“In group matches, everyone will be talking about Pakistan’s match against India, and the game will be huge,” he said.

“Whenever we meet, it is a special occasion, and there is so much hype and pressure. But as players, you need to stay calm, try and block that noise out and play with the same intensity as you would play Australia or any other team,” he concluded.

READ: Rizwan, Salman tons power Pakistan into tri-series final; South Africa eliminated

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has named the three Shaheens squads that will feature in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 warm-up matches in the build-up to the main event, which will take place from 19 February to 9 March.

For the 14 February match against Afghanistan at Gaddafi Stadium, Pakistan Shaheens will be captained by Shadab Khan, with Mansoor Amjad serving as coach-cum-manager.

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Meanwhile, for the 17 February match against South Africa at National Stadium, Mohammad Hurraira will lead the side, with Ijaz Ahmed Junior as coach-cum-manager.

On the same day (17 February) in Dubai, Pakistan Shaheens will face Bangladesh, with Mohammad Haris as captain and Umar Gul as coach-cum-manager.

Pakistan Shaheens squads

vs Afghanistan, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore – Shadab Khan (captain), Abdul Faseeh, Arafat Minhas, Hussain Talat, Jahandad Khan, Kashif Ali, Mohsin Riaz, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir Khan, Muhammad Akhlaq, Muhammad Imran Randhawa and Muhammad Irfan Khan

vs South Africa, National Stadium, Karachi – Mohammad Huraira (captain), Amad Butt, Faisal Akram, Hassan Nawaz, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Maaz Sadaqat, Mehran Mumtaz, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Niaz Khan, Qasim Akram and Saad Khan

vs Bangladesh, ICC Academy, Dubai – Mohammad Haris (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdul Samad, Ali Raza, Azan Awais, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mubasir Khan, Musa Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Sufiyan Moqim and Usama Mir

Schedule of matches featuring Pakistan Shaheens:

14 February – vs Afghanistan, Gaddafi Stadium (1400-2130)

17 February – vs South Africa, National Stadium Karachi (1400-2130)

17 February – vs Bangladesh, ICC Cricket Academy (1400-2130)

Other Champions Trophy warm-up matches:

16 February – New Zealand v Afghanistan, National Stadium Karachi (1400-2130)

READ: Mohammad Rizwan backs struggling Babar Azam to bounce back

LAHORE: Pakistan fast bowler Hasan Ali predicted the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finalists here on Wednesday.

While addressing the media in Punjab’s capital, he named India, New Zealand, and Australia as semi-finalists alongside hosts and defending champions Pakistan.

The right-arm pacer addressed the criticism surrounding the Men in Green’s squad for the mega event and backed the team for the Champions Trophy, stating that the players should be supported.

“I believe this is the best squad for the Champions Trophy. We should support the players, and there should not be any ifs and buts,” said Hasan.

The 30-year-bowler, pivotal in Pakistan’s Champions 2017 triumph, also recalled the title-winning campaign.

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“The memories of the 2017 Champions Trophy are still fresh; it was a phenomenal achievement for all of us young players. We could never forget the winning moment,” said Hasan.

Hasan Ali also called the event being held in the country is a breath of fresh air for Pakistan.

“It is a welcome development that the Champions Trophy is now being held in Pakistan,” remarked the fast bowler.

“It was essential for the young talent to have the event here. I hope the Pakistan team will do well in the Champions Trophy 2025,” he concluded.

For the unversed, Hasan Ali was named the Player of the Tournament in the 2017 Champions Trophy for his outstanding bowling performance.

For the unversed, the ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy will kick off on 19 February, with host and defending champions Pakistan taking on New Zealand in the curtain-raiser in Karachi’s National Bank Stadium.

The eight-team tournament will consist of 15 matches over 19 days and will take place in Pakistan and Dubai.

In Pakistan, Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi will be the three venues to host Champions Trophy 2025 matches. Each Pakistan venue will feature three group games apiece, with Lahore hosting the second semi-final.

Lahore will also host the final on 9 March, unless India qualify, in which case it will be played in Dubai.

Both the semi-finals and the final will have reserve days. The three group matches involving India, as well as the first semi-final, will be played in Dubai.

READ: Heinrich Klaasen leads attack to help South Africa post 352-5

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) named former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed as ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 ambassador on Wednesday.

Sarfaraz joined the elusive list of ambassadors for the mega-event, including India’s Shikhar Dhawan, New Zealand’s Tim Southee and Australia’s Shane Watson.

“With a week to go until the first ball is bowled in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has revealed the lineup of Event Ambassadors that will feature to add to the fan experience,” ICC stated in a press release.

“Pakistan’s 2017 winning captain Sarfaraz Ahmed features in an all-star cast that also boasts two-time champion, Australia’s Shane Watson, Player of the Series in India’s 2013 trophy-winning campaign, Shikhar Dhawan, and New Zealand’s legendary fast bowler, Tim Southee.

“With a wealth of experience in the Champions Trophy, over the course of the coming weeks, the lineup will provide fans with unrivalled insights into the competition through guest columns and match attendance, sharing their thoughts on what promises to be a thrilling event, where the world’s best eight teams will compete for the iconic white jackets.”

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Sarfaraz Ahmed shared that wearing the iconic white jacket after winning the Champions Trophy 2017 was special.

“I will never forget how special it felt to don the white jackets and lift the trophy aloft as Pakistan captain back in 2017,” said Sarfaraz.

“Seeing the nation get behind us and celebrate that success is also something that’s very close to my heart, so I am delighted to see the competition return to the cricket calendar and see my country given the opportunity to host such a special event.

“The format means that every game is so important, and I can’t wait to play my part as an Ambassador and witness the tournament first-hand.”

Meanwhile, Shikhar Dhawan expressed his excitement to be part of the Champions Trophy 2025 as an ambassador.

“It is such a special feeling to be part of a Champions Trophy, and to be given the opportunity to enjoy the upcoming edition as an Ambassador is an honour,” Dhawan stated.

“Over the next few weeks, we’ll see the best sides in the world competing for the white jackets knowing that one mistake or one loss could spell the end of their hopes.

“It’s the ultimate competition where it’s all on the line, and that is what makes it such a thrilling spectacle.”

READ: Afghanistan spinner ruled out of Champions Trophy, replacement named

KABUL: Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has named left-arm spinner Nangyal Kharote as the replacement for the injured spinner AM Ghazanfar in their squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

The 18-year-old spinner, who made a bright start to his ODI career, has been ruled out of the Champions Trophy 2025 because of a “fracture in the L4 vertebra”.

The country’s cricket board took to their official X (formerly Twitter) account to announce the unfortunate news.

“Afghanistan’s young spin-bowling sensation, AM Ghazanfar, has been ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy due to a fracture in the L4 vertebra, specifically in the left pars interarticularis,” ACB posted.

“He sustained the injury during Afghanistan’s recently held tour Zimbabwe and will be sidelined for a minimum of four months and will remain under treatment during this period.

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“Nangyal Kharoti, who was part of the reserves pool, has been promoted to the main squad for the Champions Trophy. Additionally, Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s continues to miss the ODI action, until he has fully recovered.”

It’s worth noting that the ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy will kick off on 19 February with host and defending champions Pakistan taking on New Zealand in the curtain-raiser in Karachi’s National Bank Stadium.

Afghanistan will kick off their campaign with a clash against South Africa at Karachi’s newly renovated National Bank Stadium on February 21, before they face England and Australia at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.

For the unversed, Afghanistan’s performance in white-ball cricket has been strong recently — finishing sixth in the ICC ODI World Cup in 2023 and reaching the semi-final in last year’s T20 World Cup.

Afghanistan beat England and Pakistan in the ODI World Cup and Australia and New Zealand in the T20 World Cup.

Afghanistan squad for Champions Trophy 2025

Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah (vc), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharote, Noor Ahmad, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Naveed Zadran and Farid Ahmad Malik.

READ: Key player withdraws from Champions Trophy as Australia name revamped squad

LAHORE: The Afghanistan squad reached here on Wednesday to participate in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to commence on 19 February.

The squad will take a rest to freshen up today before hitting the nets tomorrow to fine-tune their preparation for their maiden Champions Trophy campaign.

It’s worth noting that the ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy will kick off on 19 February with host and defending champions Pakistan taking on New Zealand in the curtain-raiser in Karachi’s National Bank Stadium.

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Afghanistan will kick off their campaign with a clash against South Africa at Karachi’s newly renovated National Bank Stadium on February 21, before they face England and Australia at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.

For the unversed, Afghanistan’s performance in white-ball cricket has been strong recently — finishing sixth in the ICC ODI World Cup in 2023 and reaching the semi-final in last year’s T20 World Cup.

Afghanistan beat England and Pakistan in the ODI World Cup and Australia and New Zealand in the T20 World Cup.

Afghanistan squad for Champions Trophy 2025

Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah (vc), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Naveed Zadran and Farid Ahmad Malik.

READ: Key player withdraws from Champions Trophy as Australia name revamped squad

In a significant blow to India, star pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the  ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 due to injury.

The right-arm pacer sustained a lower back injury during the final Test against Australia in Sydney last month.

According to a statement issued by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the selection committee named pacer Harshit Rana as Bumrah’s replacement.

According to Cricinfo, Bumrah’s most recent scans, which he had over the weekend in Bengaluru, did not show anything concerning.

The report further stated that the timeline of his return has not been confirmed. He will likely resume running in a couple of weeks and then bowl gradually after that. The BCCI’s medical team in Bengaluru will monitor his progress.

Furthermore, India has also named mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy in the squad. The spinner will replace Yashasvi Jaiswal, initially named in the provisional squad.

Rana, who made his Test debut down under, has been sensational in the past few months. He played a vital role by taking crucial wickets in team India’s victory over England in the five-match T20I series.

He also made a notable contribution to the first One Day International, bagging 3-53 at an important stage of the match.

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For the unversed, Bumrah arrived at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru on 3 February to have his injured back scanned.

Last month, the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, revealed that Jasprit Bumrah would miss the first two ODIs of the home series against England while announcing the squad.

This is the second ICC tournament Bumrah will miss due to injury. He sat out the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia due to a back injury, eventually forcing him to have surgery.

It is pertinent to mention that the ICC had set February 11 as the deadline for all participating teams to submit their final squad for the Champions Trophy 2025.

From now on, any subsequent changes to the team will need approval from the tournament’s technical committee.

India’s squad for the Champions Trophy

Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy

Non-travelling substitutes: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj and Shivam Dube

READ: Akif Javed replaces injured Haris Rauf in Pakistan’s squad for tri-series

Australia captain Steve Smith admitted on Tuesday that the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 would be on their minds when they play Sri Lanka in two ODIs this week.

The ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy will kick off on 19 February with host and defending champions Pakistan taking on New Zealand in the curtain-raiser in Karachi’s National Bank Stadium.

Australia are placed in a group with England, South Africa and Afghanistan.

Prior to that Australia will face Sri Lanka in Colombo on Wednesday and Friday, fresh from a dominant 2-0 Test series sweep.

“I’d be lying if I said the Champions Trophy wasn’t at the forefront of our minds — it’s a massive ICC tournament for us,” Steve Smith told reporters in Colombo.

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“While our focus is firmly on finishing this series on a strong note, there is no denying that the Champions Trophy is looming large. We want to make sure we carry good form into that competition.”

Both ODIs will be played as day games, a rarity in modern cricket. The floodlights in Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium are out of action as part of renovations ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted with India.

“Day games are quite different,” Smith said, adding he couldn’t remember his last ODI day match. “But whatever the conditions, it’s going to be warm out there, and we’re looking forward to the challenge”.

Before coming to Sri Lanka, Australia held a training camp in Dubai to prepare for “challenging wickets” in Sri Lanka, said Smith.

“The batters found methods to succeed in these conditions, the spinners worked on varying their pace, and the seamers fine-tuned their reverse swing,” he said. “We hope to bring all that into this series and finish well.”

READ: Hanif Mohammad to be posthumously inducted into PCB Hall of Fame