With the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 around the corner, the fans, cricket experts and former cricketers have started sharing their favorites for the marquee event.

The eight-team tournament is slated to be held in Pakistan and UAE from February 19 to March 9.

Ex-Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar has also joined the prediction bandwagon, naming the teams that he believes could very well make the semi-finals.

Surprisingly, Akhtar didn’t take the name of current ODI world champions Australia. He instead threw in a wildcard in his semi-finalists prediction.

"If Afghanistan's team shows maturity during the event, they could make it to the semi-finals," Akhtar said in a media interaction in Dubai, as quoted by CricketPakistan.com.

"I believe Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan will reach the semi-finals of the 2025 Champions Trophy," he added.

Afghanistan have impressed one and all with their stunning exploits in the ICC events lately. After finishing sixth and narrowly missing the semis of the 2023 World Cup, the Asian side reached the last four of the T20 World Cup 2024.

However, Akhtar refrained from taking the name of the fourth team. With India and Pakistan featuring in the same group, his prediction would suggest that he believes New Zealand and Bangladesh would be eliminated in the first stage. Afghanistan, Australia, England and South Africa are slotted in the other group.

Akhtar also shared his prediction for the eagerly-awaited India versus Pakistan clash. The arch-rivals are slated to square off in Dubai on February 23.

"I'm hopeful that Pakistan will defeat India on February 23. In fact, I believe that both Pakistan and India should also meet in the final of the tournament," Akhtar stated.

India and Pakistan faced each other in the final of the 2017 edition of the Champions Trophy at the Oval, where the latter thrashed the former by 180 runs to clinch the title.