A day after several former Pakistan cricketers criticized the inclusion of Faheem Ashraf in the Champions Trophy squad, a report has shed light on why he was picked. And it reportedly has to do with the side’s high-octane clash IND vs PAK clash in Dubai on February 21. Earlier, Rashid Latif had dubbed Ashraf’s selection as a “political’ in nature, triggering a debate.
Is Faheem Pakistan’s X factor against India?
As per Cricket Pakistan, Faheem was picked in the squad owing to his performances in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). He was also reportedly included in the squad based on Aamer Jamal’s sub-par performances. Ashraf has played 34 ODIs and has picked 26 wickets so far, averaging 46.30. The report states that he was also included in the squad keeping in mind his all-round abilities, especially for the game against India.
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Earlier, former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif had claimed that Ashraf had no decent performance in ODIs in the recent times to warrant for a spot in the Champions Trophy squad. Ex-Pakistan bowler Tanvir Ahmed had claimed that the squad was picked based on recommendations over performances by those who featured in the last three ODI tours.
“It seems a political selection. Faheem has no recent performance to warrant a selection, and his record isn’t impressive,” Latif told Telecomasia.net.
| Mat | Wkts | Ave | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | 26 | 46.30 | 5.18 |
Pakistan squad for Champions Trophy
Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
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