Imam-ul-Haq, the opening batter, triggered speculations through his post on the social media site after he was excluded from Pakistan’s Champions Trophy squad that was announced today. The defending champions were the last team to name their roster and it came out on Friday.
In the days leading up to the announcement, there had been non-stop speculations about Imam’s possible inclusion, especially after opener Saim Ayub was ruled out because of an injury. But the Pakistan management opted for another avenue, roping in Fakhar Zaman with an eye on Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel as one of the likely openers upfront.
Although there was scope for including at least one more opener, the selection committee decided to strengthen the middle order to make it more explosive and deeper. Eventually, with the inclusions of Kamran Ghulam, Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, and Khushdil Shah, there was no space for Imam in the 15-member squad.
In a reflective post on X, Imam said, “Not the result I expected. But nevertheless, life goes on and never stops. That’s just it-the process of growth and getting stronger with each fall. Patience and faith in Allah is the key!”
His last game for the national team came in the ODI World Cup against South Africa on 27 October 2023, and the last outing for him with the international cricket team was against Australia in the test match of December 2023.
To date, following a string of underwhelming displays, he was eventually dropped across all formats. Eyeing the next best platform for himself, Imam focused his sights on the domestic circuit as he made an excellent comeback during the just-concluded Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2024-25.
The Imam, who represented Multan, was the third-highest run-scorer in the tournament, having made 635 runs in nine innings at an impressive average of 79.37 with three centuries and a half-century.
Announced Pakistan squad for Champions Trophy 2025: Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Rizwan (c, wk), Khushdil Shah, Salman Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah.
