ICC Champions Trophy 2025 - SWOT Analysis of Pakistan

Pakistan is defending their ICC Champions Trophy title this year against some of the best teams across the globe. They are also hosting the event in partnership with the United Arab Emirates this year as well.

The hosts have received a mixed bag of results in recent times. There have been multiple changes in the squad and the team has struggled to find the winning combination. Their key players have been a complete failure and as the ICC Champions Trophy comes into the picture, the Pakistan cricket team comes out of the darkness to revive the quality of cricket in the country.

Mohammad Rizwan will be the leading man for the team. He took over the responsibility in tough times last year and has come out as a new ray of hope for the team. Rizwan has played a crucial role in shaping the team for the big event and his leadership skills will bring in some positive results for the team.

The hosts have received a big blow as their key batter Saim Ayub will be missing out on the tournament because of an ankle injury. The injury occurred during Pakistan’s tour to South Africa.

Abdullah Shafique, Irfan Khan, and left-arm spinner Sufiyan Muqeem are also missing out on their spots in the team. Ashraf, Fakhar, Khushdil Shah and Saud Shakeel are the replacements for the 4 players.

Fakhar Zaman is making his comeback to the team after missing out the international action for more than 6 months. He, Babar Azam, and Ashraf were part of the same squad that won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017.

In this article, the top bookies bring you the SWOT Analysis of the Pakistan squad with winning odds from cricket betting sites.

ICC Champions Trophy 2025 - Pakistan - Squad

Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi.

ICC Champions Trophy - SWOT Analysis of Pakistan

Strength

As always, Pakistan’s core strength lies in its lethal pace attack. The hosts have Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf as their key pacers. These three Pakistani pacers have done exceptionally well when it comes to white-ball cricket.

Shaheen Shah Afridi was the leading wicket-taker in 2024 for Pakistan in the ODI format. He is the backbone of the team and can do wonders with the new ball.

Naseem Shah is the new swing master from Pakistan. At the young age of 21 years, Naseem is walking shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the best bowlers in the world. He has dealt with some minor setbacks because of his constant injuries but Naseem is now ready to get unleashed in the Champions Trophy.

Haris Rauf is another bowler to watch. He is a trump card for Pakistan. Haris always comes into attack during the middle overs and breaks the strong partnerships which are turning out to be a problem for the team.

Weakness

The top order of Pakistan is all sorted but their weakness comes in when the game reaches the middle order. Pakistan has a very unstable middle order that has been consistent in recent times. Star players like like Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman have been a complete failure. Saud Shakeel and Tayyab Tahir are also part of their middle order but they are new in the team and if the team is under pressure, the duo might also fail to contribute.

Opportunity

The hosts have two good all-rounders and that is their big opportunity. If the team is in trouble, Khushdil Shah and Faheem Ashraf can be the saviour of the team. Faheem Ashraf has the capability to contribute runs from the lower order at a higher strike rate. He also adds tactical advantage with his ability to bowl at any point of time in the match.

Khushdil Shah is returning to the ODI format and he is a power hitter. He also carries the capability to play the spin attack successfully and can dominate the game during the middle overs.

Threat

The biggest threat to Pakistan is the failure of their experienced players. Their star batsman Babar Azam has not shown signs of his old form in recent times. He was removed from the captaincy in 2024 and that has also impacted his form in international cricket.

ICC Champions Trophy - Pakistan - Winning Odds

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