Saim Ayub ruled out of ICC Champions Trophy 2025 due to ankle injury

Saim Ayub has been officially ruled out of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 due to an ankle injury, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed on Friday. The 21-year-old opener, who has been recovering in England, will remain sidelined for at least 10 more weeks, making him unavailable for Pakistan’s title defense in the tournament.

While his absence from the Champions Trophy is now certain, Ayub’s participation in Pakistan’s upcoming white-ball tour of New Zealand remains uncertain. The PCB stated that his availability for the New Zealand tour, scheduled between March 16 and April 5, will depend on his recovery and clearance of all fitness tests. Pakistan is set to play five T20Is and three ODIs on the tour.

Ayub’s exclusion is a major setback for Pakistan, given his impressive batting form. National selection committee member Asad Shafiq acknowledged the disappointment surrounding his absence, emphasizing that the decision was made with the player’s long-term fitness in mind. “We understand how much he was looking forward to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and recognize how devastating it must be for him to miss a global event, especially when he is in such exceptional batting form. However, as a valuable asset to our team, we are committed to prioritizing his long-term health over making any rushed decisions,” Shafiq stated.

Pakistan, who won the last Champions Trophy held in 2017, will be hosting the 2025 edition alongside the UAE. This tournament marks the first 50-over ICC event since the 2023 Cricket World Cup. Mohammad Rizwan will lead the team after taking over the captaincy from Babar Azam, who stepped down following the World Cup.

Pakistan’s Group Stage Fixtures:

• February 19 – Pakistan vs New Zealand, Karachi.
• February 23 – Pakistan vs India, Dubai.
• February 27 – Pakistan vs Bangladesh, Rawalpindi.

Pakistan squad:

Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi.