ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Babar Azam to be kicked down from opening spot after Tri-series struggles
Published - 17 Feb 2025, 12:23 PM | Updated - 17 Feb 2025, 12:24 PM
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Pakistan National Cricket Team’s experiments with their batting combination show no signs of stopping, as they have not yet finalized Babar Azam’s position in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is set to get underway on February 19.
Babar Azam was recently promoted to the top of the order, and the former Pakistan skipper failed to yield the desired results in the four-match Tri-Nation ODI series, featuring South Africa and New Zealand at home. Notably, the Men in Green lost the trophy to the Black Caps at home.
Babar Azam’s batting position still unsettled for ICC Champions Trophy 2025
The right-handed batter Babar Azam managed only 62 runs in three ODIs at an average of 20.67 and a strike rate of 81.58, as he failed to replicate the past success with Fakhar Zaman as the openers, leaving the team management concerned about the top order ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Well, following the Tri-Nation ODI series, Pakistan's team management is reportedly considering promoting Saud Shakeel to the opening slot to help Babar Azam regain his form. This strategic shift would allow the former skipper to reclaim his preferred No. 3 position.
This potential change could redefine Pakistan’s top order and provide Babar the platform to anchor the innings in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, which will kick off with the defending champions facing New Zealand in the tournament opener on February 19 in Karachi.
🚨BABAR AZAM AT ONE DOWN🚨
— Salman 🇵🇰 (@SalmanAsif2007) February 16, 2025
- The team management is thinking to promote Saud Shakeel as an opener and allow Babar Azam to bat at his favorite No.3 position in ODIs. [ARY News] pic.twitter.com/VcymwQdC0m
Notably, Babar has been struggling to score big runs since last year, when he scored 222 runs in 6 ODIs at an average of 55. He had decent numbers in T20Is, scoring 738 runs in 23 games at an average of just 33. But he could score only 184 runs in 6 Tests last year.
Fresh controversy erupts as Indian flag missing from Karachi’s National Stadium ahead of ICC Champions Trophy
Meanwhile, a fresh controversy has emerged ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy, as a video showing the Indian flag missing from the National Stadium in Karachi went viral on social media. Fans noticed that the Indian flag was ignored by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in Karachi while the flags of other participating nations were displayed.
Read Also: ICC Champions Trophy 2025: India to play on used pitches in Dubai? Report reveals
However, the exact reason for the absence of the Indian flag remains unclear, but it could be possibly because India is playing all its matches in Dubai.
The National Stadium in Karachi is set to host games involving teams like New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and England. However, this move left fans questioning the decision by the PCB to not include the Indian flag in Karachi.
Watch the viral video here:
No Indian flag in Karachi: As only the Indian team faced security issues in Pakistan and refused to play Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan, the PCB removed the Indian flag from the Karachi stadium while keeping the flags of the other guest playing nations. pic.twitter.com/rjM9LcWQXs
— Arsalan (@Arslan1245) February 16, 2025
Notably, the Indian cricket team decided against traveling to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy due to security reasons, which forced the Pakistan Cricket Board and the International Cricket Council to shift the tournament to a hybrid format.
However, Pakistan will also have the same arrangement for their matches in India till 2027. The Men in Green will also not travel to India for the ICC matches for this cycle. Notably, India will kick off their ICC Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh on February 20 in Dubai.
