Pakistan's opening batter Imam-ul-Haq has responded to his exclusion from the national squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Taking to social media, the left-handed batter shared a message of resilience, writing, "The result is not what was expected, but the journey is not over."

He further emphasised that "difficulties and obstacles make a person stronger" and expressed his unwavering faith in Allah during challenging times.

Imam's omission from the 15-member squad announced for the upcoming tri-nation series and the Champions Trophy raised eyebrows, as he has been a regular in Pakistan’s ODI setup.

The selectors opted for Fakhar Zaman and Usman Khan as top-order options alongside skipper Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam.

Pakistan’s champions trophy squad

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

ICC Champions Trophy 2025 fixtures

The tournament will commence on February 19, with Pakistan taking on New Zealand in Karachi. The much-anticipated clash between Pakistan and India is scheduled for February 23 in Dubai.

Key matches:

February 19: Pakistan vs New Zealand (Karachi)
February 20: Bangladesh vs India (Dubai)
February 22: Australia vs England (Lahore)
February 23: Pakistan vs India (Dubai)
March 4 & 5: Semi-finals (Dubai, Lahore)
March 9: Final (Lahore, unless India qualifies, in which case it will be played in Dubai)