Pakistan will be taking on Bangladesh in their final game of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The game is scheduled to be played on Thursday (February 27) at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi.
Pakistan only have pride to play for as they have already been knocked out of the tournament. The defending champions lost their first two group games against New Zealand and India and will be desperate to give their fans something to cheer for by winning the upcoming game.
So, as Pakistan gears up for their last group game, we are taking a look at the Pakistan Playing 11 for the upcoming PAK vs BAN game.
Pakistan Playing 11 vs Bangladesh- ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Match 9:
Openers: Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam
Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam are set to be the openers in the openers in Pakistan Playing 11 for the upcoming game. They added 41 runs for the first wicket in the previous game against India and will be looking to give their team a good start in the upcoming game.
Babar, who has been facing severe criticism in recent times, was out for just 23 against India and will be eyeing a big score against Bangladesh.
On the other hand, Imam, who played an ODI for Pakistan for the first time since 2023, failed to impress with the bat too. He scored 10 runs off 26 balls before being run out. Imam is expected to get one more chance in the Pakistan Playing 11 and will be keen to make it count.
Middle-order batsmen and allrounders: Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah
Saud Shakeel was the pick of the Pakistan batters against India. The left-handed batsman was the only Pakistan player to score a fifty in the game as he played a fine knock of 62 runs. Shakeel will be keen to end his campaign in the Champions Trophy on a good note.
Captain Mohammad Rizwan scored 46 runs against India but still faced criticism for not converting it into a big score and also for not playing with more intent. He played 77 deliveries for those 46 runs and will be eyeing a captain’s knock in the upcoming game.
The likes of Salman Agha and Tayyab Tahir failed to deliver with the bat too but are expected to retain their spot in the Pakistan Playing 11. Agha scored 19 while Tahir was out for just 4 against India. Khushdil Shah scored 38 runs and picked up a wicket as well.
Bowlers: Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
While the bowlers could not defend the runs against India, they are still expected to retain their spots in the Pakistan Playing 11. Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf are set to be the three paces while Abrar Ahmed will be the lead spinner.
Afridi picked up 2 wickets against India but conceded 74 runs in just 8 overs. On the other hand, Rauf and Naseem went wicketless while Abrar picked up one wicket.
