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Pakistan opener Saim Ayub has been ruled out of the entire Champions Trophy 2025 as he could not recover in time from his recent injury. He has been replaced by talented middle-order batsman Khushdil Shah.
Ayub suffered an ankle injury during Pakistan’s Test series in South Africa while playing. He was seen leaving the field in great pain and was immediately taken for a scan.
After the injury was found to be serious enough, Ayub was sent to London by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) with the team’s assistant coach Azhar Mahmood. The first player is currently in London rehabbing and it will be a few more weeks before he can resume training.
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Saim Ayub ruled out ICC Champions Trophy 2025
According to Samaa TV, Saim Ayub has been ruled out of Pakistan’s squad for the Champions Trophy 2025. Ayub has not been able to fully recover from the ankle injury he sustained during Pakistan’s Test series against South Africa.
His selection for the tournament was always going to be a big challenge given the extent of his injury. While Pakistan’s squad is yet to be announced, reports have confirmed that Ayub has been ruled out of the tournament.
Ayub’s absence is a major blow to Pakistan’s chances of defending their crown at home. The men in green are the defending champions of the Champions Trophy after winning the tournament when it was last played in 2017.
Khushdil Shah replaces Saim Ayub in Pakistan’s Champions Trophy squad
Exclusive:
Fakhta told me @KhushdilShah_ is selected for the Champions Trophy and is Saim Ayub’s replacement.
Saim Ayub is now out of the Champions Trophy squad#ChampionsTrophy2025 #PakistanCricket pic.twitter.com/UOTqf95v6Z
— Qadir Khawaja (@iamqadirkhawaja) January 23, 2025
Reports also confirmed that talented left-handed batsman Khushdil Shah has been named as Ayub’s replacement in the Pakistan squad. Khushdil is currently playing in the Bangladesh Premier League where he is in fantastic form with the bat.
The left-hander has scored 288 runs in nine matches at an average of 72 and a strike rate of 189.47 so far. He is currently the top scorer for his team Rangpur Riders despite batting in the middle and lower order.
Khushdil Shah has shown excellent capabilities as a finisher in BPL 2025. The 29-year-old has a modest ODI record for Pakistan, having scored 199 runs in 10 matches at an average of 33.16 and a strike rate of 94.76.
Saim Ayub’s ODI numbers
Saim Ayub has been one of Pakistan’s best players in recent months. The youngster has become a three-format player for the team and played a key role in the team’s ODI series wins in Australia and South Africa.
The 22-year-old has played 9 ODIs and scored 515 runs at an average of 64.37 and a strike rate of 105.53 with three hundreds and a fifty. The youngster was looking forward to an ICC tournament at home, but unfortunately his dream has come to an end.
