Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Rashid Latif has strongly criticized Faheem Ashraf’s selection for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The all-rounder last featured in white-ball cricket for Pakistan during the 2023 Asia Cup and has not delivered noteworthy performances to justify his return.
In December 2024, Ashraf represented the Dolphins in the Champions T20 Cup, where he claimed six wickets in seven matches with an economy rate of 7.76. Currently, he is playing for Fortune Barishal in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), where he ranks as the second-highest wicket-taker with 20 scalps, trailing only Taskin Ahmed, who has 25.
Latif emphasized that Babar Azam could be an asset as an opener but pointed out a critical challenge for Pakistan. “Babar can be effective at the top of the order, but the bigger concern is finding bowlers who can take wickets during the middle overs, specifically between the 11th-20th and 31st-40th. This has been a longstanding weakness for Pakistan, as seen in our struggles during the 2023 World Cup,” he noted.
Latif questioned the selection process, suggesting that Faheem Ashraf’s inclusion might have been influenced by factors beyond performance. “This seems like a politically motivated decision. Faheem hasn’t shown any recent form to justify his selection, and his overall record is not particularly strong,” he told Telecomasia.net, as reported by The Times of India.
Pakistan suffered a major setback when Saim Ayub twisted his ankle during the Test series against South Africa last month. The young opener has been ruled out of the Champions Trophy, forcing the team to look for alternatives at the top of the order.Kamran Ghulam’s impressive start in the middle order has given Pakistan the flexibility to consider Babar Azam as an opening batter.
He also pointed out the presence of players such as Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, and Saud Shakeel, who were absent from the squad in the last three tours. “Now, the responsibility falls on captain Mohammad Rizwan to choose the best playing XI, much like Imran Khan did in 1992 and Younis Khan in 2009,” he added.
Babar has opened in ODIs only twice, both times in the 2015 series against England. He managed 26 runs across two innings with a strike rate of 72.22.