Here's the reason behind Imam-ul-Haq’s exclusion from Pakistan's Champions Trophy squad

Pakistan's squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has been announced, and the selection committee has opted to leave out experienced openers Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafiq. The decision comes after the absence of the in-form Saim Ayub. In contrast, Fakhar Zaman made a return as a reliable opener for the team.

Imam-ul-Haq, the left-handed opener, was considered a strong contender for selection due to his impressive record. Having played 72 ODIs for Pakistan, Imam scored 3138 runs at an average of 48.27, including 9 centuries and 20 half-centuries. His experience and performance made him a strong candidate for the squad. However, the selectors chose not to bring him into the squad for several reasons.

Imam-ul-Haq last played an ODI for Pakistan on October 27, 2023, in Chennai. The left-handed opener had also separated from the team a day before a three-day match against the West Indies last month, which raised questions among the selectors.

Imam-ul-Haq, who had been captaining Pakistan Shaheens in Islamabad, did not feature in the second innings and only managed five runs before getting out in the first. In the second innings, Omair Bin Yousuf took over alongside Mohammad Huraira. Imam left for Lahore on the third day after taking permission from coach Umar Gul.

The selectors and team management had initially planned to include Imam-ul-Haq in the second Test against the West Indies in Multan. However, doubts about his fitness arose. Imam, who was part of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s B category for the 2023-24 central contract, was notably left out of any category for the 2024-25 contract due to fitness concerns.

In response to being excluded from the Champions Trophy squad, Imam-ul-Haq shared a meaningful message on social media platform 'X'. He wrote, "The result was not what I expected, but the journey is not over yet. This is life. Every challenge is an opportunity to move forward, to grow stronger, and most importantly, to have patience and trust in Allah."