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Pakistan have announced their squad for the Champions Trophy 2025. While many prominent names have missed out on getting featured in the squad, one such name is that of opening batter Imam-ul-Haq who was denied a place in the squad after a long and tedious delay by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in sharing the list of players to feature for Pakistan in the coveted tournament. After being denied a place in the team, the ace Pakistani batter has come out in public and shared his disappointment with the cricketing world.
Imam-ul-Haq opens up after getting dropped from the team
The opening batter who last featured in a tour match against the West Indies for the Pakistan Shaheens during the latest West Indies tour to Pakistan, had sincerely hoped his name would be included in the squad list for the Champions Trophy 2025. However, contrary to his beliefs the selectors dropped him and decided to go for seasoned batter Fakhar Zaman, who is now anticipated to open the Pakistani innings in the tournament alongside Babar Azam. The 29-year-old, disappointed over his exclusion from the team, opened up to his fans through a social media post which has emerged as a major talking point in the cricketing world.
“Not the outcome I expected, but the journey isn’t over. This is how life is—it’s all about growth and getting stronger with every hurdle. Patience and trust in Allah is the key!,” Imam said in the social media post, sharing his disappointment over his name being axed from the squad.
Here’s the post
Not the outcome I expected, but the journey isn’t over. This is how life is—it's all about growth and getting stronger with every hurdle. Patience and trust in Allah is the key!🤍 pic.twitter.com/0nMevB7tTo
— Imam Ul Haq (@ImamUlHaq12) February 1, 2025
Pakistan recently released a joint 15-member squad for the tri-nation ODI series to be played among Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa and Champions Trophy subsequently. The squad had names of experienced players like Saud Shakeel, skipper Mohammad Rizwan, Kamran Ghulama and Haris Rauf while talents like Salman Agha and Imam were ruled out of the squad.
Also Read: Pakistan’s Wasim Akram predicts the winner of Champions Trophy 2025
Imam’s latest form in international cricket
Imam was once the rising star of Pakistan’s batting line-up, however, his recent form has raised questions as to whether he can continue at the very top level for a sustained period of time. The 29-year-old has failed to leave a mark with the bat and sustained setbacks one after the other including a below par season in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He had played his last international match for Pakistan at Melbourne against Australia in December 2023 in which he scored 10 and 12 runs in both the innings respectively.
