With just a month left for the 2025 Champions Trophy, teams have already started preparations for their respective ICC tournaments. While all teams have officially announced their squads, India and Pakistan are yet to do so.

According to reports, Pakistan has submitted a preliminary list of players but will reduce the squad to 15 players by February 10. The Men in Green opted for a young squad and did not have experienced goalkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed in it.

However, former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has a new role for Sarfaraz Ahmed in the upcoming Champions Trophy. Basit wants to appoint Sarfaraz Ahmed as mentor and urges the Pakistan Cricket Board to take action soon.

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Simple Ali to play new role for Sarfaraz Ahmed

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Basit Ali asked the PCB to learn from the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and appoint a mentor for the Champions Trophy. He appointed Sarfaraz Ahmed for the role because of his experience in defeating India in the 2017 Champions Trophy final.

“Afghanistan made a good choice by appointing the great Younis Khan as their mentor. Pakistan are definitely sleeping and so is the board. They need a mentor against India, someone who won you the Champions Trophy last time: Sa Faraz Ahmed,” Bast said.

“In this game, Sarfaraz’s advice will come into play. He has the experience of lifting trophies against them. I won’t use anyone else’s name. He has led the team to victory,” he added.

Led by Sarfaraz Ahmed, Pakistan defeated their old rival India in the final to win the 2017 Champions Trophy. The Men in Green entered the final as losers but surprised Team India in this historic moment.

Afghanistan invites Younis Khan as mentor

ACB recently appointed legendary Pakistan batsman Younis Khan as the mentor of the Afghanistan team for the upcoming Champions Trophy to help the team adapt to local conditions. The ACB has previously selected players from the host countries as mentors for specific ICC tournaments.

Ajay Jadeja was appointed as their mentor in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, where Afghanistan registered historic wins over Pakistan and England. Jadeja’s experience of the local situation helped the team adapt here.

Afghanistan will host the 2024 T20 World Cup in West Indies with Dwayne Bravo as their mentor. Afghanistan reached the semi-finals of the event, their best ever performance in a senior ICC event.

2025 Champions Trophy Schedule

The 2025 Champions Trophy will be held from February 19 to March 9. The mega match between India and Pakistan will be played in Dubai on February 23. India and Pakistan are in Group A along with Bangladesh and New Zealand.

The other group includes England, Australia, South Africa and Afghanistan. The match will be played on February 19 in Karachi between hosts Pakistan and New Zealand. India’s first match will be against Bangladesh on February 20.