Babar Azam to open with Fakhar in Tri-Series, Champions Trophy

Pakistan cricket team has finalized its opening pair for the upcoming tri-series and International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy, with star batter Babar Azam set to open the innings alongside Fakhar Zaman.

According to reports, team management has given Babar the agreement to take on the challenge and will now open the innings in One Day Internationals (ODIs).

Pakistan recently announced the names of the players included in its 15-member squad, with Fakhar Zaman slotted as the only regular opener. Chief selector Asad Shafiq had earlier mentioned that the second opener would be decided before the match.

Reports said that opener Saim Ayub's injury influenced the decision. During the Cape Town Test, Saim suffered an ankle injury serious enough for the coaching staff to immediately realize that his recovery would take around two to two-and-a-half months.

This led to several discussions between team management, head coach Aaqib Javed, batting coach Shahid Aslam, and senior players, including Mohammad Rizwan. They convinced Babar Azam to take up the role of an opener in both Test and ODI formats.

Babar was told that the selectors wanted him to play a role similar to Sachin Tendulkar, who started as a middle-order batter but became a regular opener in 1994-95. His move to the top order played a key role in India's ODI success.

Babar has been advised to aim to play through the full 50 overs in ODIs. After careful consideration, he has agreed to open the innings in the upcoming tri-series and Champions Trophy.

The 30-year-old has played 123 ODIs for Pakistan, scoring 5,957 runs at an impressive average of 56. He has hit 19 centuries and 23 half-centuries. While he has been a regular opener in T20s, he has mostly played at No. 3 or No. 4 in ODIs.

The last time Babar opened in ODIs was in 2015 against England, where he played two matches as an opener. However, in recent years, he has been Pakistan's key batter at the No. 3 position.

With this change, Pakistan's management believes Babar can become the backbone of the ODI squad, just like Tendulkar was for India. His performance at the top will be crucial in Pakistan's upcoming international campaigns.

Yesterday, Pakistan revealed its squad for the Champions Trophy 2025.

Squad:

Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir,  Faheem Asharf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Muhammad Rizwan, Usman Khan,  Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Sheheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Muhammad Hasnain.