All-rounder Faheem Ashraf returned as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the Playing XI for the PAK vs NZ tri-nation series final on Friday.
The home side brought all-rounder Faheem Ashraf in place of pacer Mohammad Hasnain.
Pakistan are set to face New Zealand in the PAK vs NZ final after defeating South Africa in the penultimate game of the tri-nation series in Karachi on February 12.
Following the tri-nation series final, the two sides will face off in the Champions Trophy 2025 opening game on February 19 at the same venue.
Pakistan Playing XI:
Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (c) (wk), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed.
Pertinent to note here that Faheem Ashraf’s selection in the Pakistan squads for the tri-nation series and the Champions Trophy 2025 received criticism from fans and several former Pakistan cricketers.
Read more: “Came out of the blue’: Wasim Akram questions Faheem Ashraf’s selection
While the PCB said that the all-rounder had been selected based on his domestic performance, several lamented his inclusion in the side owing to his dismal outing for the national side.
Since his debut in 2017, Faheem Ashraf has played 34 ODIs in which he took 26 wickets while his batting average is just 10 runs.
Following the announcement of the Pakistan squad, legendary Wasim Akram said that Ashraf and all-rounder Khushdil Shah came ‘out of the blue.’
“I haven’t thought about the team announcement yet. But a couple of things that I have thought about. For instance, Faheem Ashraf is in the team. I wish him all the best. [He is] a talented cricketer. But in the last 20 matches, his average bowling is 100 and his average batting is 9. He came out of the blue and Khushdil also came out of the blue,” he said at the time.