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Basit Ali predicts Pakistan will struggle to reach Champions Trophy 2025 final

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Former cricketer Basit Ali has cast doubts on Pakistan’s chances of defending their Champions Trophy title, predicting that the team will not make it to the final of the upcoming tournament. As the Champions Trophy returns to the cricket calendar for the first time since 2017, Pakistan is set to host the event, with the UAE also serving as a venue. However, Basit remains skeptical about the team’s ability to replicate its 2017 success.

Pakistan unveiled its 15-player squad on Friday, but the announcement drew criticism from former cricketers, who questioned some of the selections. While analyzing the squad, Basit made a bold statement regarding Pakistan’s chances in the tournament. “I don’t think Pakistan will reach the final, but if they do, all the credit will be taken by selectors,” he remarked on his YouTube channel.

Despite Basit’s skepticism, former World Cup-winning captain Ricky Ponting has backed Pakistan to be a serious contender, posing a significant challenge to tournament favorites Australia and India. However, Basit believes that Pakistan’s success will depend heavily on the batting performances of key players, particularly Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, and captain Mohammad Rizwan. “In batting, Babar, Fakhar, and Rizwan—at least one of them—needs to score big, a century in each match,” he emphasized.

Before their tournament opener against New Zealand on February 19, Pakistan will take part in a tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand as part of their preparations. The series will begin with Pakistan facing New Zealand at Gaddafi Stadium on February 8, followed by a match between New Zealand and South Africa on February 10.

The ODI action will then move from Rawalpindi to Karachi, where Pakistan will take on South Africa in a day/night match on February 12. The tri-series final is scheduled for February 14 in Karachi, just five days before the start of the Champions Trophy.

Pakistan squad for Champions Trophy 2025: Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), Khushdil Shah, Salman Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah.

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