PCB's Champions One-Day Cup (2024)

[Flat_Track_Bully]

They need to pay well to youth cricketers, 30 players from each U13 , U16 and U19 should have a monthly stipend of 1 lac , 1.5 lac and 2 lac along side match fees and prize money , it will sky rocket youth interest as well as parents interest in cricket plus players will keep improving their game every year in order to retain their contracts.

They should get rid of everyone in domestics and start again with u19 players with a dental examination to confirm their real age.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

They should get rid of everyone in domestics and start again with u19 players with a dental examination to confirm their real age.

Agreed ! 70% off the current domestic players should be forced to retire and replaced by U21 players from last two U19 worldcups and the players from the above list.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Pretty sure these players are not getting monthly stipend since Rameez departure
30k is nothing in Pak economy, atleast 1 lac for U13 and 1.5 and 2 lacs for U16 and U19 players would be bare minimum.

 

[RidiculousMan]

Pretty sure these players are not getting monthly stipend since Rameez departure
30k is nothing in Pak economy, atleast 1 lac for U13 and 1.5 and 2 lacs for U16 and U19 players would be bare minimum.

While it's true. You have to take into account that this was 2 years ago. Plus Ramiz had promised to take care of their educational and technical requirements. So the stipend was just for them for their personal spending.

It was I thought a good starting point. Although there's no update on that since.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Will we see new faces in the champions cup or the already known players from each region and some U19 guys? Ideally I want to see undercooked but high ceiling players getting chances in this league so that we can gauge their ability to withstand International level cricket. We already know pretty much all the domestic players and frankly saying they are useless and no where good enough to be playing for national side. Must scout and select raw players with huge potential in this champions cup.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

While it's true. You have to take into account that this was 2 years ago. Plus Ramiz had promised to take care of their educational and technical requirements. So the stipend was just for them for their personal spending.

It was I thought a good starting point. Although there's no update on that since.

We have to bring this thing back if PCB actually wants to promote interest towards youth who has pretty much forsaken this sport. Back in the day there were kids playing competitive street cricket with extreme passsion in every street in Karachi and now days we only get to see street cricket in very remote areas of Karachi or we see the parody version of it being played for laughs and fun with no serious attitude or passion towards it.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

If there is chance of getting paid 1lac to 2lac every month as a junior level cricketer , The parents and their kids will flood in to club cricket and academies hoping to get selected for these teams and earn a junior level contract and secure their financial worries and more over they will work hard day and night in order to retain the contract next year and will never be complacent enough to lose the contract to another guy , it will improve our next generation of cricketers in a never before seen way.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

In a country where putting enough food on the table being a big thing it will be a highly motivating factor for lower and middle class families (which accounts for 70% families in Pakistan) to encourage their kids who are not good in studies to become a cricketer and starts earning from young age.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

We are just wasting our money on mentors instead it should be given to junior cricketers to promote their interest and derive them to keep improving by using stick and carrot strategy, i wonder if Naqvi understand this solution as Rameez clearly had a vision on this.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Dolphins get Sarfaraz Ahmed as mentor

Two-time ICC Event winner Sarfaraz Ahmed was confirmed as mentor for the Dolphins side, which will be based at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre in Karachi, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced today. Dolphins will be one of the five sides to participate in the Champions One-Day Cup, which will be held in Faisalabad from 12-29 September.

The Dolphins will launch their campaign against Saqlain Mushtaq’s Panthers on 14 September, followed by matches against Misbah-ul-Haq’s Wolves on 17 September, Shoaib Malik’s Stallions on 19 September and Waqar Younis’ Lions on 22 September.

The Champions One-Day Cup will feature country’s 150 best of the best cricketers. This will be a 50-over tournament that will be played on a single-league format. All but 16 September match between Lions and Panthers, which will start at 9.30am, will commence at 3pm. There will be three playoffs in four days with the final on Sunday, 29 September.

Sarfaraz Ahmed (Captained Pakistan to victories in the ICC U19 World Cup 2006 and ICC Champions Trophy 2017, was also a member of the Pakistan side that won the ACC Asia Cup 2012; led Pakistan to No.1 in ICC T20I Team Rankings; became the first Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter to score a World Cup century when he scored 101 not out against Ireland in Adelaide in 2015; holds the record for most dismissals in an ODI (all 6 catches); is only the second wicket-keeper to have captained his side in 50 or more ODIs; is 17th on the ODI list of wicket-keepers with 2,000 runs and 100 dismissals; played in two 50-over World Cups and one T20 World Cup)

“Mentoring a highly-rated Dolphins side in what promises to be a keenly contested and hard-fought tournament is something I’m eagerly looking forward to. This will be a new experience for me and I’m excited about the opportunity to learn and further develop my skills as a cricket professional.

“What makes this role even more exciting and challenging is that I will also be participating in the tournament as a player. While my passion and drive to win each match remain as strong as ever, my role will also involve supporting and assisting the captain, players, and coaching staff to enhance their skills and become better players.

“I am fully committed to this role and am eager to make a meaningful contribution to the Dolphins side, with whom I have been involved in some of the most memorable matches. These include the last-over loss to the Stallions in the 2007/08 T20 Cup final, a 78-run victory over the Bears in the 2009/10 Pentangular One-Day Cup final and a 37-run loss to the Lions in the 2010/11 T20 Cup final.

“With the country’s best players and top-notch coaches under the watchful eyes of experienced former stalwarts as mentors, I am confident that this Champions One-Day Cup will exceed the expectations of the Pakistan Cricket Board and the passionate Pakistan cricket fans, whose unwavering support is always crucial. I believe all players will deliver their best performances, making this tournament an overwhelming success.”

Schedule of the Dolphins matches (all matches will begin at 3pm):

14 Sep – Dolphins v Panthers
17 Sep – Dolphins v Wolves
19 Sep – Stallions v Dolphins
22 Sep – Dolphins v Lions

 

[Rana]

(Sialkot) Stallions ain’t really giving me the vibes of the legendary Stallion’s side of 2003-10 with some of the players expected to feature for them.

They were the Manchester United of whiteball fc cricket in that era with guys like Nazir, Hafeez, Malik, Asif, Rana…

Only Muhammad Harris fits the bill from a nostalgic pov, he is a player that has that fire in him the way that side had it in them. Rauf to some extent also.

 

[Rana]

Tournament starting next week

No Central Contracts finalised. No squads announced.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Dolphins get Sarfaraz Ahmed as mentor

Two-time ICC Event winner Sarfaraz Ahmed was confirmed as mentor for the Dolphins side, which will be based at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre in Karachi, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced today. Dolphins will be one of the five sides to participate in the Champions One-Day Cup, which will be held in Faisalabad from 12-29 September.

The Dolphins will launch their campaign against Saqlain Mushtaq’s Panthers on 14 September, followed by matches against Misbah-ul-Haq’s Wolves on 17 September, Shoaib Malik’s Stallions on 19 September and Waqar Younis’ Lions on 22 September.

The Champions One-Day Cup will feature country’s 150 best of the best cricketers. This will be a 50-over tournament that will be played on a single-league format. All but 16 September match between Lions and Panthers, which will start at 9.30am, will commence at 3pm. There will be three playoffs in four days with the final on Sunday, 29 September.

Sarfaraz Ahmed (Captained Pakistan to victories in the ICC U19 World Cup 2006 and ICC Champions Trophy 2017, was also a member of the Pakistan side that won the ACC Asia Cup 2012; led Pakistan to No.1 in ICC T20I Team Rankings; became the first Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter to score a World Cup century when he scored 101 not out against Ireland in Adelaide in 2015; holds the record for most dismissals in an ODI (all 6 catches); is only the second wicket-keeper to have captained his side in 50 or more ODIs; is 17th on the ODI list of wicket-keepers with 2,000 runs and 100 dismissals; played in two 50-over World Cups and one T20 World Cup)

“Mentoring a highly-rated Dolphins side in what promises to be a keenly contested and hard-fought tournament is something I’m eagerly looking forward to. This will be a new experience for me and I’m excited about the opportunity to learn and further develop my skills as a cricket professional.

“What makes this role even more exciting and challenging is that I will also be participating in the tournament as a player. While my passion and drive to win each match remain as strong as ever, my role will also involve supporting and assisting the captain, players, and coaching staff to enhance their skills and become better players.

“I am fully committed to this role and am eager to make a meaningful contribution to the Dolphins side, with whom I have been involved in some of the most memorable matches. These include the last-over loss to the Stallions in the 2007/08 T20 Cup final, a 78-run victory over the Bears in the 2009/10 Pentangular One-Day Cup final and a 37-run loss to the Lions in the 2010/11 T20 Cup final.

“With the country’s best players and top-notch coaches under the watchful eyes of experienced former stalwarts as mentors, I am confident that this Champions One-Day Cup will exceed the expectations of the Pakistan Cricket Board and the passionate Pakistan cricket fans, whose unwavering support is always crucial. I believe all players will deliver their best performances, making this tournament an overwhelming success.”

Schedule of the Dolphins matches (all matches will begin at 3pm):

14 Sep – Dolphins v Panthers
17 Sep – Dolphins v Wolves
19 Sep – Stallions v Dolphins
22 Sep – Dolphins v Lions

https://twitter.com/x/status/1831311595315527957

 

[FearlessRoar]

The PCB now has 5 mentors: Waqar, Malik, Misbah, Sarfaraz and Saqlain. Again, Saqlain is assigned to mentor the KP (Panthers) region, despite not belonging to the region or having much knowledge of it. Is this a deliberate attempt by the PCB to completely eradicate KP representation in management and the team?

 

[Rana]

The PCB now has 5 mentors: Waqar, Malik, Misbah, Sarfaraz and Saqlain. Again, Saqlain is assigned to mentor the KP (Panthers) region, despite not belonging to the region or having much knowledge of it. Is this a deliberate attempt by the PCB to completely eradicate KP representation in management and the team?

How is Waqar a representation of Lahore?

 

[YousafTheBeast]

So, apparently no one over 35 will be picked, apart from Sarfaraz who is a player + mentor.

Pakistan, summed up as a country lol.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

So, apparently no one over 35 will be picked, apart from Sarfaraz who is a player + mentor.

Pakistan, summed up as a country lol.

Good spot, we just forget that he is not only a mentor here. Pathetic hypocrisy

 

[Muhammad Saad]

I think no one over 30 should be picked , 35 is too high and don't forget to add extra years in players age.

 

[BouncerGuy]

LOL PCB and its out of nowhere management. How can a mentor be a player as well?? Joke

 

[Muhammad Saad]

LOL PCB and its out of nowhere management. How can a mentor be a player as well?? Joke

Could have easily initiated a youth player development program instead and bear the fruits in couple of years but they decided to waste money on Mentors which will not going to change anything.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Match officials for Champions One-Day Cup announced

Lahore, 5 September 2024:

Former ICC elite panelist Aleem Dar and Asif Yaqoob of the ICC’s international panel will umpire the opening match between Wolves and Panthers in the Champions One-Day Cup on 12 September, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced today. Former Test cricketer Ali Naqvi will lead the Playing Control Team (PCB), which will also include Waleed Yaqub and Zulfiqar Jan as third and fourth umpires.

Aleem Dar, Asif Yaqoob, Waleed Yaqub and Zulfiqar Jan are amongst a panel of nine umpires who will be officiating in the tournament between country’s best of the best players with stalwarts such as Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik and Waqar Younis involved as mentors. The other five umpires are: Faisal Aafreedi, Imtiaz Iqbal, Imran Jawed, Nasir Hussain and Rashid Riaz

Apart from Ali Naqvi, match referees’ responsibilities will be shared between Bilal Khilji, Iftikhar Ahmed, Iqbal Sheikh, Nadeem Arshad and Kamran Chaudhry.

Umpire and match referee appointments for the three playoffs and the final will be announced closer to time.

Umpire and match referee appointments (all matches at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad; 16 Sep match will start at 9.30am, rest of the matches will start at 3pm):

12 Sep – Wolves v Panthers. Aleem Dar and Asif Yaqoob (on-field umpires); Waleed Yaqub (third umpire), Zulfiqar Jan (fourth umpire); Ali Naqvi (match referee)

13 Sep – Stallions v Lions. Aleem Dar and Waleed Yaqub (on-field umpires); Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Zulfiqar Jan (fourth umpire); Ali Naqvi (match referee)

14 Sep – Dolphins v Panthers. Asif Yaqoob and Zulfiqar Jan (on-field umpires); Aleem Dar (third umpire), Waleed Yaqub (fourth umpire); Bilal Khilji (match referee)

15 Sep – Wolves v Stallions. Aleem Dar and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires); Waleed Yaqub (third umpire), Zulfiqar Jan (fourth umpire); Bilal Kjilji (match referee)

16 Sep – Lions v Panthers. Waleed Yaqub and Zulfiqar Jan (on-field umpires); Rashid Riaz (third umpire), Imran Jawed (fourth umpire); Iqbal Sheikh (match referee)

17 Sep – Dolphins v Wolves. Nasir Hussain and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires); Imran Jawed (third umpire), Waleed Yaqub (fourth umpire); Iqbal Sheikh (match referee)

19 Sep – Stallions v Dolphins. Imran Jawed and Imtiaz Iqbal (on-field umpire); Nasir Hussain (third umpire), Waleed Yaqub (fourth umpire); Iftikhar Ahmed (match referee)

20 Sep – Lions v Wolves. Imran Jawed and Nasir Hussain (on-field umpires); Rashid Riaz (TV umpire), Imtiaz Iqbal (fourth umpire); Iftikhar Ahmed (match referee)

21 Sep – Panthers v Stallions. Imran Jawed and Nasir Hussain (on-field umpires: Faisal Aafreedi (third umpire), Imtiaz Iqbal (fourth umpire); Nadeem Arshad (match referee)

22 Sep – Dolphins v Lions. Faisal Aafreedi and Imtiaz Iqbal (on-field umpires); Nasir Hussain (third umpire), Imran Jawed (fourth umpire); Kamran Chaudhry (match referee)

Appointments for the playoffs and the final will be announced closer to matches.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Sohail Tanveer and Sohaib Maqsood criticize PCB for not utilizing experienced domestic performers in the Champions Cup.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Sohail Tanveer and Sohaib Maqsood criticize PCB for not utilizing experienced domestic performers in the Champions Cup.

The domestic players are dud and even below 35 age cricketers are no way near International standard what will they going to teach the upcoming players?

 

[mominsaigol]

Sohail Tanveer and Sohaib Maqsood criticize PCB for not utilizing experienced domestic performers in the Champions Cup.

Tanvir and Maqsood just causing drama bazi

 

[BouncerGuy]

Captains and provisional squads confirmed for Champions Cup

Lahore, 6 September 2024:

The Pakistan Cricket Board today announced the captains of the five Champions One-Day Cup teams, as well as provisional squads for the tournament, which will be held in Faisalabad from 12-29 September. The captains were appointed by the five team mentors: Misbah-ul-Haq (Wolves), Saqlain Mushtaq (Panthers), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Dolphins), Shoaib Malik (Stallions) and Waqar Younis (Lions).

Pakistan’s Test vice-captain Saud Shakeel has been appointed captain of the Dolphins, former Pakistan T20I captain Shaheen Shah Afridi will lead the Lions and the Panthers will be skippered by former white-ball vice-captain, Shadab Khan. Pakistan Shaheens' captain Mohammad Haris will lead the Stallions, while ex-all-format vice-captain Mohammad Rizwan will captain the Wolves.

The Champions One-Day Cup will feature the country’s top cricketers. This 50-over tournament will be played in a single-league format. All matches will commence at 3pm, except for the Lions vs Panthers match on 16 September, which will start at 9:30am. The tournament will conclude with three playoff matches over four days, culminating in the final on Sunday, 29 September.

Misbah-ul-Haq’s Wolves will face Saqlain Mushtaq’s Panthers in the opening match on 12 September.

The PCB has also announced provisional squads for the five teams. These were selected by the team mentors through a draft process from a pool of 150 players, which was provided by the PCB following fitness tests—one of the primary selection criteria for domestic contracted players. The centrally contracted players will undergo fitness tests in Faisalabad on 7 and 9 September.

Out of the 150 players, 125 were leading performers from the past three domestic seasons. The remaining 25 players were wildcards, selected based on their experience and performances for Pakistan, Pakistan Shaheens and Pakistan Under-19 teams over the last three years.

Each team includes existing centrally contracted players. These are:

• Dolphins: Saud Shakeel, Faheem Ashraf and Sarfaraz Ahmed

• Lions: Abdullah Shafique, Aamir Jamal, Imam-ul-Haq and Shaheen Shah Afridi

• Panthers: Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan and Usama Mir

• Stallions: Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Haris, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir and Zaman Khan

• Wolves: Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha and Shahnawaz Dahani

Centrally contracted players who are not part of the squads include Mohammad Nawaz (personal reasons), Imad Wasim (unavailable), Arshad Iqbal, Hasan Ali, Ihsanullah and Mohammad Wasim Jnr (undergoing rehabilitation).

In addition to Imad Wasim, who is currently playing in the CPL, the following players have made themselves unavailable for the Faisalabad tournament: Ahmed Shehzad, Azam Khan (CPL), Haris Sohail, Mohammad Amir (CPL), Mohammad Abbas (County cricket in the UK), Mohammad Ilyas and Umar Akmal. Fakhar Zaman, who is also playing in the CPL, is due to return on 10 September.

Other players undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy include Ahsan Ali, Athar Mahmood, Rizwan Hussain, and Zeeshan Zamir, in addition to Arshad Iqbal, Hasan Ali, Ihsanullah, and Mohammad Wasim Jnr.

Nine domestic contracted players were excluded from the Champions One-Day Cup squads after failing their fitness tests. They are: Ali Shafique, Ali Zaryab, Arif Yaqoob, Danish Aziz, Mohammad Rameez Jnr, Saad Baig, Rameez Aziz, Sharjeel Khan, and Shawaiz Irfan.

Four cricketers, returning to competitive cricket after successfully passing their fitness tests and completing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy, are: Hunain Shah (Lions), Sameen Gul, Sufiyan Moqim (both Dolphins), and Shahnawaz Dahani (Wolves).

Squads (to be reduced to 15 players on 10 Sep):

DOLPHINS: Saud Shakeel (captain, Karachi), Aftab Ibrahim (Karachi), Asif Ali (Faisalabad), Awais Ali (Gujranwala), Faheem Ashraf (Kasur), Kashif Ali (Rawalpindi), Mir Hamza (Karachi), Mohammad Huraira (Sialkot), Mohammad Abbas Afridi (Peshawar), Muhammad Akhlaq (Kamoki), Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (Karachi), Muhammad Riazullah (Peshawar), Noman Ali (Hyderabad), Qasim Akram (Lahore), Sameen Gul (Jamrud), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Karachi), Sahibzada Farhan (Peshawar), Sufiyan Moqim (Kotli), Umar Amin (Rawalpindi) and Usman Qadir (Lahore)

Mentor – Sarfaraz Ahmed

LIONS: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain, Peshawar), Abdullah Shafique (Sialkot), Aamir Jamal (Islamabad), Aamer Yamin (Multan), Faisal Akram (Multan), Hassan Nawaz (Islamabad), Hunain Shah (Lahore), Imam-ul-Haq (Lahore), Imran Butt (Lahore), Khushdil Shah (Bannu), Mohammad Asghar (Karachi), Muhammad Irfan Khan (Mianwali), Mohammad Taha (Karachi), Omair Bin Yousuf (Karachi), Rohail Nazir (Islamabad), Shahab Khan (Mardan), Sharoon Siraj (Sahiwal), Sirajuddin (Bajaur) and Waqar Hussain (Okara)

Mentor – Waqar Younis

PANTHERS: Shadab Khan (captain, Islamabad), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Quetta), Ahmed Bashir (Lahore), Ali Asfand (Faisalabad), Ali Raza (Sheikhupura), Amad Butt (Sialkot), Arafat Minhas (Multan), Azan Awais (Sialkot), Haider Ali (Attock), Mohammad Hasnain (Hyderabad), Mohammad Umar (Karachi), Mohammad Zeeshan (Faisalabad), Mubasir Khan (Rawalpindi), Rehan Afridi (Khyber), Rizwan Mehmood (Hyderabad), Saim Ayub (Karachi), Umar Siddiq (Lahore), Usama Mir (Sialkot), Usman Khan (Karachi) and Usman Salahuddin (Lahore)

Mentor – Saqlain Mushtaq

STALLIONS: Mohammad Haris (captain, Peshawar), Abrar Ahmed (Karachi), Adil Amin (Peshawar), Azam Khan (Peshawar), Babar Azam (Lahore), Haris Rauf (Islamabad), Hussain Talat (Lahore), Jahandad Khan (Rawalpindi), Junaid Ali (Lahore), Maaz Ahmad Sadaqat (Peshawar), Mehran Mumtaz (Rawalpindi), Mohammad Ali (Sialkot), Mohammad Amir Khan (Swat), Saad Khan (Hyderabad), Shamyl Hussain (Islamabad), Shan Masood (Karachi), Tayyab Tahir (Sarai Alamgir), Ubaid Shah (Lahore), Yasir Khan (Rawalpindi) and Zaman Khan (Mirpur)

Mentor – Shoaib Malik

WOLVES: Mohammad Rizwan (captain, Peshawar), Fakhar Zaman (Abbottabad), Abdul Samad (Faisalabad), Akif Javed (FATA), Ali Usman (Multan), Bilawal Bhatti (Muridke), Haseebullah (Pishin), Iftikhar Ahmed (Peshawar), Kamran Ghulam (Peshawar), Mohammad Faizan (Faisalabad), Mohammad Imran Jnr (Peshawar), Mohammad Sarwar Afridi (FATA), Muhammad Imran (Khanewal), Naseem Shah (Lahore), Nisar Ahmed (Lahore), Salman Ali Agha (Lahore), Shahnawaz Dahani (Larkana), Zahid Mehmood (Dadu) and Zain Abbas (Multan)

Mentor – Misbah-ul-Haq

Event schedule (all matches at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad; 16 Sep match will start at 9.30am, rest of the matches will start at 3pm):

12 Sep – Wolves v Panthers

13 Sep – Stallions v Lions

14 Sep – Dolphins v Panthers

15 Sep – Wolves v Stallions

16 Sep – Lions v Panthers

17 Sep – Dolphins v Wolves

19 Sep – Stallions v Dolphins

20 Sep – Lions v Wolves

21 Sep – Panthers v Stallions

22 Sep – Dolphins v Lions

24 Sep – Qualifier (Team No.1 v Team No. 2)

25 Sep – Eliminator 1 (Team No.3 v Team No.4)

27 Sep – Eliminator 2 (Losing Qualifier v Winning Eliminator 2)

29 Sep - Final

 

[CerebralPatriot]

A team led by Rizwan, mentored by Misbah and starring some of the favourites of the KP nexus in the form of Iftikhar, Haseebullah and Sarwar Afridi.

Well I can't wait for the entertainment

 

[CerebralPatriot]

Dolphins are easily the best team and should win the tournament with ease

The best batsmen in the country captaining and being mentored by the GOAT. We are a little short in the bowling department however with Saud and Saifi leading it should be a non issue.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Poll added guys.

Which team is going to win this tournament???

My pick is Wolves.

 

[Asif321]

apart from Ifti everyone look fine .

 

[Asif321]

Poll added guys.

Which team is going to win this tournament???

My pick is Wolves.

Stallions and Lions have a good squad. But shaheen and Waqar combo might mess up this . While Malik can calm things down and will go along well with this team . I’m going for stallions

 

[Rana]

A team led by Rizwan, mentored by Misbah and starring some of the favourites of the KP nexus in the form of Iftikhar, Haseebullah and Sarwar Afridi.

Well I can't wait for the entertainment

Waqar and Misbah set this up how they wanted

 

[Rana]

Arafat Minhas playing under Shadab

Guess which talented young all rounder is about to get screwed?

 

[Asif321]

Azam khan making himself unavailable shows what kind of mindset he has

 

[sajad]

Captains and provisional squads confirmed for Champions Cup

Lahore, 6 September 2024:

The Pakistan Cricket Board today announced the captains of the five Champions One-Day Cup teams, as well as provisional squads for the tournament, which will be held in Faisalabad from 12-29 September. The captains were appointed by the five team mentors: Misbah-ul-Haq (Wolves), Saqlain Mushtaq (Panthers), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Dolphins), Shoaib Malik (Stallions) and Waqar Younis (Lions).

Pakistan’s Test vice-captain Saud Shakeel has been appointed captain of the Dolphins, former Pakistan T20I captain Shaheen Shah Afridi will lead the Lions and the Panthers will be skippered by former white-ball vice-captain, Shadab Khan. Pakistan Shaheens' captain Mohammad Haris will lead the Stallions, while ex-all-format vice-captain Mohammad Rizwan will captain the Wolves.

The Champions One-Day Cup will feature the country’s top cricketers. This 50-over tournament will be played in a single-league format. All matches will commence at 3pm, except for the Lions vs Panthers match on 16 September, which will start at 9:30am. The tournament will conclude with three playoff matches over four days, culminating in the final on Sunday, 29 September.

Misbah-ul-Haq’s Wolves will face Saqlain Mushtaq’s Panthers in the opening match on 12 September.

The PCB has also announced provisional squads for the five teams. These were selected by the team mentors through a draft process from a pool of 150 players, which was provided by the PCB following fitness tests—one of the primary selection criteria for domestic contracted players. The centrally contracted players will undergo fitness tests in Faisalabad on 7 and 9 September.

Out of the 150 players, 125 were leading performers from the past three domestic seasons. The remaining 25 players were wildcards, selected based on their experience and performances for Pakistan, Pakistan Shaheens and Pakistan Under-19 teams over the last three years.

Each team includes existing centrally contracted players. These are:

• Dolphins: Saud Shakeel, Faheem Ashraf and Sarfaraz Ahmed

• Lions: Abdullah Shafique, Aamir Jamal, Imam-ul-Haq and Shaheen Shah Afridi

• Panthers: Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan and Usama Mir

• Stallions: Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Haris, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir and Zaman Khan

• Wolves: Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha and Shahnawaz Dahani

Centrally contracted players who are not part of the squads include Mohammad Nawaz (personal reasons), Imad Wasim (unavailable), Arshad Iqbal, Hasan Ali, Ihsanullah and Mohammad Wasim Jnr (undergoing rehabilitation).

In addition to Imad Wasim, who is currently playing in the CPL, the following players have made themselves unavailable for the Faisalabad tournament: Ahmed Shehzad, Azam Khan (CPL), Haris Sohail, Mohammad Amir (CPL), Mohammad Abbas (County cricket in the UK), Mohammad Ilyas and Umar Akmal. Fakhar Zaman, who is also playing in the CPL, is due to return on 10 September.

Other players undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy include Ahsan Ali, Athar Mahmood, Rizwan Hussain, and Zeeshan Zamir, in addition to Arshad Iqbal, Hasan Ali, Ihsanullah, and Mohammad Wasim Jnr.

Nine domestic contracted players were excluded from the Champions One-Day Cup squads after failing their fitness tests. They are: Ali Shafique, Ali Zaryab, Arif Yaqoob, Danish Aziz, Mohammad Rameez Jnr, Saad Baig, Rameez Aziz, Sharjeel Khan, and Shawaiz Irfan.

Four cricketers, returning to competitive cricket after successfully passing their fitness tests and completing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy, are: Hunain Shah (Lions), Sameen Gul, Sufiyan Moqim (both Dolphins), and Shahnawaz Dahani (Wolves).

Squads (to be reduced to 15 players on 10 Sep):

DOLPHINS: Saud Shakeel (captain, Karachi), Aftab Ibrahim (Karachi), Asif Ali (Faisalabad), Awais Ali (Gujranwala), Faheem Ashraf (Kasur), Kashif Ali (Rawalpindi), Mir Hamza (Karachi), Mohammad Huraira (Sialkot), Mohammad Abbas Afridi (Peshawar), Muhammad Akhlaq (Kamoki), Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (Karachi), Muhammad Riazullah (Peshawar), Noman Ali (Hyderabad), Qasim Akram (Lahore), Sameen Gul (Jamrud), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Karachi), Sahibzada Farhan (Peshawar), Sufiyan Moqim (Kotli), Umar Amin (Rawalpindi) and Usman Qadir (Lahore)

Mentor – Sarfaraz Ahmed

LIONS: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain, Peshawar), Abdullah Shafique (Sialkot), Aamir Jamal (Islamabad), Aamer Yamin (Multan), Faisal Akram (Multan), Hassan Nawaz (Islamabad), Hunain Shah (Lahore), Imam-ul-Haq (Lahore), Imran Butt (Lahore), Khushdil Shah (Bannu), Mohammad Asghar (Karachi), Muhammad Irfan Khan (Mianwali), Mohammad Taha (Karachi), Omair Bin Yousuf (Karachi), Rohail Nazir (Islamabad), Shahab Khan (Mardan), Sharoon Siraj (Sahiwal), Sirajuddin (Bajaur) and Waqar Hussain (Okara)

Mentor – Waqar Younis

PANTHERS: Shadab Khan (captain, Islamabad), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Quetta), Ahmed Bashir (Lahore), Ali Asfand (Faisalabad), Ali Raza (Sheikhupura), Amad Butt (Sialkot), Arafat Minhas (Multan), Azan Awais (Sialkot), Haider Ali (Attock), Mohammad Hasnain (Hyderabad), Mohammad Umar (Karachi), Mohammad Zeeshan (Faisalabad), Mubasir Khan (Rawalpindi), Rehan Afridi (Khyber), Rizwan Mehmood (Hyderabad), Saim Ayub (Karachi), Umar Siddiq (Lahore), Usama Mir (Sialkot), Usman Khan (Karachi) and Usman Salahuddin (Lahore)

Mentor – Saqlain Mushtaq

STALLIONS: Mohammad Haris (captain, Peshawar), Abrar Ahmed (Karachi), Adil Amin (Peshawar), Azam Khan (Peshawar), Babar Azam (Lahore), Haris Rauf (Islamabad), Hussain Talat (Lahore), Jahandad Khan (Rawalpindi), Junaid Ali (Lahore), Maaz Ahmad Sadaqat (Peshawar), Mehran Mumtaz (Rawalpindi), Mohammad Ali (Sialkot), Mohammad Amir Khan (Swat), Saad Khan (Hyderabad), Shamyl Hussain (Islamabad), Shan Masood (Karachi), Tayyab Tahir (Sarai Alamgir), Ubaid Shah (Lahore), Yasir Khan (Rawalpindi) and Zaman Khan (Mirpur)

Mentor – Shoaib Malik

WOLVES: Mohammad Rizwan (captain, Peshawar), Fakhar Zaman (Abbottabad), Abdul Samad (Faisalabad), Akif Javed (FATA), Ali Usman (Multan), Bilawal Bhatti (Muridke), Haseebullah (Pishin), Iftikhar Ahmed (Peshawar), Kamran Ghulam (Peshawar), Mohammad Faizan (Faisalabad), Mohammad Imran Jnr (Peshawar), Mohammad Sarwar Afridi (FATA), Muhammad Imran (Khanewal), Naseem Shah (Lahore), Nisar Ahmed (Lahore), Salman Ali Agha (Lahore), Shahnawaz Dahani (Larkana), Zahid Mehmood (Dadu) and Zain Abbas (Multan)

Mentor – Misbah-ul-Haq

Event schedule (all matches at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad; 16 Sep match will start at 9.30am, rest of the matches will start at 3pm):

12 Sep – Wolves v Panthers

13 Sep – Stallions v Lions

14 Sep – Dolphins v Panthers

15 Sep – Wolves v Stallions

16 Sep – Lions v Panthers

17 Sep – Dolphins v Wolves

19 Sep – Stallions v Dolphins

20 Sep – Lions v Wolves

21 Sep – Panthers v Stallions

22 Sep – Dolphins v Lions

24 Sep – Qualifier (Team No.1 v Team No. 2)

25 Sep – Eliminator 1 (Team No.3 v Team No.4)

27 Sep – Eliminator 2 (Losing Qualifier v Winning Eliminator 2)

29 Sep - Final

Where are the future Test players

 

[zaidihusain]

It's believe it's not right for Saqlain to mentor the team captained by his son in law. There shouldn't be any kind of conflict of interest in any form

 

[u0sama]

How is parchi Shamyl Hussain is there.

 

[u0sama]

Muhammad Taha is nothing player, many are better than him

 

[Rana]

How is parchi Shamyl Hussain is there.

How is Parchi Imam, Shan and many others still there?

 

[samiakh]

Where is Khurrum Shezad? Dumped already?

 

[RyanRyan10]

Arafat Minhas playing under Shadab

Guess which talented young all rounder is about to get screwed?

Same thing had happened with Zafar Gohar?

 

[RyanRyan10]

How is parchi Shamyl Hussain is there.

Whom is he related to and how influential he is?

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Muhammad Taha is nothing player, many are better than him

He is a decent player and definitely deserve a chance at FC level, not good enough for National team I agreed. He never got a proper chance at premier domestic level , This will be his golden opportunity if he some how get a game or two here.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Arafat Minhas playing under Shadab

Guess which talented young all rounder is about to get screwed?

That's not good news at all. Arafat is imo the best young spinning talent in Pakistan. In fact, he's the best since Zafar Gohar emerged. He should not be playing under Shadab

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Same thing had happened with Zafar Gohar?

Lol. Ditto. That's exactly what I thought.

 

[Ahmad i]

These days the only cricket I look forward to is domestic cricket. One can hope to see a lot of competition and, more importantly, a lot of crowd. Crowds charge up players and bring the best out of them. So it is important for the crowd to turn out. And I hope the entry is actually free and not just for people to come to the stadium and find out that it was all a lie, as has happened in the second test between Pak vs Bangladesh.

 

[gazza619]

So i heard that Azam Khan has pulled out of the tournament. Dude should have never been picked.

PCB = Phaltu Charya Board

 

[Shaka81]

So i heard that Azam Khan has pulled out of the tournament. Dude should have never been picked.

PCB = Phaltu Charya Board

Was the Azam Khan who got selected not the spinner from Peshawar, rather than the sumo wrestler playing in the CPL? In which case, not sure how anyone can be that offended at him getting picked?

 

[mominsaigol]

So i heard that Azam Khan has pulled out of the tournament. Dude should have never been picked.

PCB = Phaltu Charya Board

This same board that you're calling Phaltu Charya just appointed your beloved hero as captain, so idkw you're complaining.

You should be praising this board. They gave you what you wanted?

 

[Shaka81]

If the Panthers didn't have Shadab as captain they would be a pretty decent side. Shadab will ruin it though by making it all about himself and promoting himself for both batting and bowling.

 

[indianpanacea]

Talents who in my opinion are missing
1) Saad(that left handed middle order batter of i guess karachi)
2) Zafar gouhar
3) Tayyab arif(pjcl)
4) saad beg
5) basit ali

 

[indianpanacea]

I believe the best team to represent Pakistan in ODI in batting order is
1) Babar Azam
2) fakhar zaman
3) saud shakeel
4) Tayyab Tahir
5) Omair Bin yousuf
6) M. Rizwan
7) Arfat Minhas
8) Amir Jamal
9) Haris Rauf
10) Shaheen
11) Naseem
12) Abrar ahmad
13) Mubasir khan
14) Rohail Nazir
15) Mohd. Ali
&Test squad be
1) Abdullah shafique
2) Huraira
3) Babar Azam
4) Saud shakeel
5) Kamran Ghulam
6) Haider Ali
7) M. Rizwan
8) Shahdab
9) Naseem shah
10) Husnain
11) shaheen
12) Rohail Nazir
13) omair bin yusuf
14) M. Hamza
15) zeeshan

 

[Cricket Warrior]

 

[BouncerGuy]

Nadeem Khan highlights significance of Champions One-Day Cup

Lahore, 7 September 2024:

The inaugural Champions One-Day Cup is set to take place at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad from 12-29 September. Team mentors of the five sides include Misbah-ul-Haq (Wolves), Saqlain Mushtaq (Panthers), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Dolphins), Shoaib Malik (Stallions) and Waqar Younis (Lions), while the PCB announced the captains and provisional squads on Friday.

The tournament featuring the top players across the country will be a 50-over competition played on a single-league format. All matches will start at 3pm, except for the match between Lions and Panthers on September 16, which will begin at 9.30am.

Nadeem Khan, Director High-Performance PCB and Tournament Director - Champions Cup, spoke with PCB Digital and highlighted the significance of the tournament, outlining its salient features.

“The concept of the Champions One-Day Cup was initiated in April and we launched it in July. The PCB decided to bring together the best of the best players from its local competitions in order to bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket.

“For the first time, all the five teams have been allocated their respective regional academies so that the players can train and work on their skills throughout the year. The best thing about the concept is the teams have highly experienced and dedicated mentors who will not only manage the men’s Champions teams but will also be involved at the women’s and age-group cricket, which will have positive effects on Pakistan cricket.

“The five high-profile mentors understand the requirements of the international cricket and they will prepare the players accordingly in the domestic competitions.

“Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten will be arriving on 12 September to witness the entire Champions One-Day Cup and it will surely be exciting for him to work in the domestic circuit in order to look into the young talent with an eye on the upcoming white-ball assignments in Australia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, followed by the home tri-national series and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

“The Champions One-Day Cup will help us unearth future white-ball prospects for the Pakistan’s white-ball teams, also marking the start of the preparation for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

“Having the Champions Cup in September will allow us to give an extended opportunity to the top performers of this tournament in International cricket before the mega-event commences home.

“With all the national players taking part in the Champions One-Day Cup, the intensity and quality of this domestic tournament will only go up and help us determine the emerging players who can thrive and perform under pressure when they represent Pakistan in future.

“The squads comprise of a good mixture of young and experienced players, and one of our goals is to provide quality dressing room and on-filed exposure and experience to the emerging and U19 players part of the Champions One-Day Cup squads.

“Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad (having hosted 24 Tests, 16 ODIs) has been a regular host of international cricket till 2008, but now we have worked actively with the local authorities to bring a high-profile tournament to the city and look forward to a large number of fans attending the Champions One-Day Cup.

“As far as the tournament taking place between two home Test series is concerned, it needs to be understood that this tournament was already in the pipeline since April. All the Boards around the world have their set domestic structures and the tournaments take place according to respective scheduled windows instead of altering them in light of the upcoming home international assignments.

“Moreover, the players in this day and age are professional and used to switching between formats that it should not be a huge concern. In fact, their presence has added quality to the first major domestic tournament of the 2024-25 season.”

 

[ask_analyse_act]

How long for rehab, been a year ....

Good they dropped players for poor fitness... Shehzad, Haris Sohail and Umar Akmal should have played and performed...

how come Asif Ali still there lol

 

[Markhor]

Squads look like a bunch of players hurriedly drawn together. None of the teams have any city/regional affiliation - just generic names like Wolves, Dolphins etc vaguely hinting at the Faysal Bank T20 days.

Alongside the departmental tournaments, our domestic cricket now primarily consists of teams with no city or regional identity whatsoever - the bedrock of any domestic cricket. Instead of following Lahore or Karachi, KPK or Balochistan - we have Wolves, Dolphins, Ghani Glass, HEC etc.

 

[Ahmed216]

Azam Khan a 'huge' miss

 

[RidiculousMan]

Squads look like a bunch of players hurriedly drawn together. None of the teams have any city/regional affiliation - just generic names like Wolves, Dolphins etc vaguely hinting at the Faysal Bank T20 days.

Alongside the departmental tournaments, our domestic cricket now primarily consists of teams with no city or regional identity whatsoever - the bedrock of any domestic cricket. Instead of following Lahore or Karachi, KPK or Balochistan - we have Wolves, Dolphins, Ghani Glass, HEC etc.

This experiment will fail as well.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

This experiment will fail as well.

as usual

 

[ask_analyse_act]

“Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten will be arriving on 12 September to witness the entire Champions One-Day Cup and it will surely be exciting for him to work in the domestic circuit in order to look into the young talent with an eye on the upcoming white-ball assignments in Australia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, followed by the home tri-national series and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Will he be able to select players who performed in this tournament for the national team and give them a run in the playing XI .. If that happens and they carried their forrm to intl cricket with performances then this Champions Cup would be a great success.

Just kick out the BABAR the stubborn captain and appoint may be Rizwan , if he is also stubborn then find another one..

 

[Bewal Express]

Squads look like a bunch of players hurriedly drawn together. None of the teams have any city/regional affiliation - just generic names like Wolves, Dolphins etc vaguely hinting at the Faysal Bank T20 days.

Alongside the departmental tournaments, our domestic cricket now primarily consists of teams with no city or regional identity whatsoever - the bedrock of any domestic cricket. Instead of following Lahore or Karachi, KPK or Balochistan - we have Wolves, Dolphins, Ghani Glass, HEC etc.

And you expect some sort planning from these clowns? Bro you and I, know the PCB better than the back of our own hands and that is never happening. This is a shambles of an organisation that has no care for PK cricket

 

[RidiculousMan]

And you expect some sort planning from these clowns? Bro you and I, know the PCB better than the back of our own hands and that is never happening. This is a shambles of an organisation that has no care for PK cricket

I'm sure the Chairman got suggestions from one of the manikin inside PCB, 'Sir ji Champions Cup krwa lein'.

 

[Bewal Express]

I'm sure the Chairman got suggestions from one of the manikin inside PCB, 'Sir ji Champions Cup krwa lein'.

You wouldn't be too far from the truth

 

[gazza619]

Naqvi is a failure in every department he gets involved in

 

[Nasty Naz]

Squads look like a bunch of players hurriedly drawn together. None of the teams have any city/regional affiliation - just generic names like Wolves, Dolphins etc vaguely hinting at the Faysal Bank T20 days.

Alongside the departmental tournaments, our domestic cricket now primarily consists of teams with no city or regional identity whatsoever - the bedrock of any domestic cricket. Instead of following Lahore or Karachi, KPK or Balochistan - we have Wolves, Dolphins, Ghani Glass, HEC etc.

Yeah I raised this point earlier as well and I don't understand how journalist and media are asking the people responsible for tournaments why it's setup like this. It makes no sense. This is why no one in Pakistan follows domestic because it's literally designed & setup in a way for you not to care about it at all. Teams are completely random, there's no affiliation to city/region and "Wolves/Dolphins etc" aren't a brand either people would care about. Every tournament has some random team or department name and it's like a mystery puzzle trying to figure out where the players are playing. If you stay consistent with a city/region affiliation with your teams, I bet fans would start to care more about domestic cricket and its that brand loyalty you create over time

Everything is last minute to squads, to ever changing playing dates to playing ODI before an important England series who thoroughly embarrassed you at home with a 3-0 whitewash. As Shan said, Pakistan is practicing math for a science exam and will likely get blown away by England once again... and for what? So Mr. Naqvi can claim success for this useless tournament that likely won't be around next year with useless and extremely overpaid mentors whose role is, what exactly?

Batta fast podcast did an excellent job of breaking down this nonsense and its sad how Pakistan cricket continues to deteriorate and we continue to have new chairmen who just want to push their own agenda rather than do anything to Pakistan cricket.

 

[GreenKhan]

The same 20 odd players who are part of the national team will perform again and the new bunch of players will fail as usual , what to gain from this tournament?

The cream always rises to the top in these kind of tournaments. So you saying there should not be a domestic 50 over tournament?

 

[FearlessRoar]

Lions and Stallions captains look forward to Champions One-Day Cup

Mohammad Haris, captain of the Pakistan Shaheens, will step into the role of Stallions skipper for the Champions One-Day Cup, joining forces with mentor and former Pakistan star Shoaib Malik. The Stallions will kick off their tournament campaign against Shaheen Shah Afridi’s Lions on Friday, 13 September, with the match scheduled to begin at 3 pm (local time).

Haris assessed his squad as being particularly strong and is fully aware of the high expectations as the tournament gets underway.

“It is an honour to lead the star-studded Stallions in the Champions One-Day Cup. We have a strong squad, featuring some of the biggest names in Pakistan cricket, which naturally raises the expectations from the fans,” he said.

With Shoaib Malik, a former Pakistan and Stallions captain, acting as mentor, Haris acknowledged the legacy left by Malik and the team over the years in various domestic seasons. He aimed to uphold that legacy by setting high standards as they prepare for their first of four league matches on 13 September.

“The Stallions have a rich legacy of winning in Pakistan’s domestic cricket. With the talent and resources, we have at our disposal, I assure you that we will entertain both the crowds in the stadium and the television audiences during the tournament.”

Haris is also mindful of the challenges ahead, given the high-caliber competition in the Champions One-Day Cup, which features some of the best players in the country.

“The Champions One-Day Cup is exciting in every sense. All the teams are strong, the conditions are challenging, and the 50-over format will truly test our abilities. I hope the fans in Faisalabad come out in large numbers to enjoy the tournament.”

Stallions squad (to be trimmed to 15 on 10 September): Mohammad Haris (captain, Peshawar), Abrar Ahmed (Karachi), Adil Amin (Peshawar), Azam Khan (Peshawar), Babar Azam (Lahore), Haris Rauf (Islamabad), Hussain Talat (Lahore), Jahandad Khan (Rawalpindi), Junaid Ali (Lahore), Maaz Ahmad Sadaqat (Peshawar), Mehran Mumtaz (Rawalpindi), Mohammad Ali (Sialkot), Mohammad Amir Khan (Swat), Saad Khan (Hyderabad), Shamyl Hussain (Islamabad), Shan Masood (Karachi), Tayyab Tahir (Sarai Alamgir), Ubaid Shah (Lahore), Yasir Khan (Rawalpindi) and Zaman Khan (Mirpur)

Mentor – Shoaib Malik

Schedule of Stallion’s matches (matches will start at 3pm):

13 Sep – Stallions v Lions
15 Sep – Wolves v Stallions
19 Sep – Stallions v Dolphins
21 Sep – Panthers v Stallions

Shaheen Shah Afridi (Lions captain):

Shaheen Shah Afridi, the two-time HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) winning captain, will lead the Lions in the Champions One-Day Cup at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad. As the towering left-arm pacer prepares for this new challenge, he reflected on what lies ahead for both him and his team as they enter the tournament under the mentorship of former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis.

“Leading the Lions will be a thrilling experience for me, especially given the high stakes of the Champions One-Day Cup and the presence of several young and exciting players on our roster. I look forward to giving my best to the team — with the ball, the bat, and through my leadership throughout the tournament,” said Shaheen.

Shaheen fondly recalled his debut in the domestic One-Day Cup back in 2018, when he burst onto the scene as a teenage prodigy.

“I have great memories of playing the One-Day Cup in Faisalabad as an 18-year-old in 2018. Returning here as captain with a wealth of international experience feels surreal. I’m committed to helping create memorable experiences for all the young players on our team.”

Speaking about the intensity of the competition, Shaheen emphasised the importance of preparation in the Champions One-Day Cup.

“Our opening game is against a strong Stallions squad, which shows the level of competition we will face game after game. That’s why I firmly believe our preparations must be spot-on so we can hit the ground running.”

Lions Squad (squad to be trimmed to 15 on 10 September): Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain, Peshawar), Abdullah Shafique (Sialkot), Aamir Jamal (Islamabad), Aamer Yamin (Multan), Faisal Akram (Multan), Hassan Nawaz (Islamabad), Hunain Shah (Lahore), Imam-ul-Haq (Lahore), Imran Butt (Lahore), Khushdil Shah (Bannu), Mohammad Asghar (Karachi), Muhammad Irfan Khan (Mianwali), Mohammad Taha (Karachi), Omair Bin Yousuf (Karachi), Rohail Nazir (Islamabad), Shahab Khan (Mardan), Sharoon Siraj (Sahiwal), Sirajuddin (Bajaur) and Waqar Hussain (Okara)

Mentor – Waqar Younis

Schedule of Lions’ matches (day match will start at 9.30am, day/night matches will begin at 3pm):

13 Sep – Stallions v Lions (d/n)
16 Sep – Lions v Panthers (d)
20 Sep – Lions v Wolves (d/n)
22 Sep – Dolphins v Lions (d/n)

 

[Bewal Express]

Lets hope that some real talent emerges from these games. I am sick of the fake 18 year olds that clog up the system and destroy any merit in selection of junior teams, which leads to investment in the wrong players

 

[mon858]

Yeah I raised this point earlier as well and I don't understand how journalist and media are asking the people responsible for tournaments why it's setup like this. It makes no sense. This is why no one in Pakistan follows domestic because it's literally designed & setup in a way for you not to care about it at all. Teams are completely random, there's no affiliation to city/region and "Wolves/Dolphins etc" aren't a brand either people would care about. Every tournament has some random team or department name and it's like a mystery puzzle trying to figure out where the players are playing. If you stay consistent with a city/region affiliation with your teams, I bet fans would start to care more about domestic cricket and its that brand loyalty you create over time

Everything is last minute to squads, to ever changing playing dates to playing ODI before an important England series who thoroughly embarrassed you at home with a 3-0 whitewash. As Shan said, Pakistan is practicing math for a science exam and will likely get blown away by England once again... and for what? So Mr. Naqvi can claim success for this useless tournament that likely won't be around next year with useless and extremely overpaid mentors whose role is, what exactly?

Batta fast podcast did an excellent job of breaking down this nonsense and its sad how Pakistan cricket continues to deteriorate and we continue to have new chairmen who just want to push their own agenda rather than do anything to Pakistan cricket.

I remember the days when I used to follow hbl or pia games and would know who all played in those sides. Now you are right, every season, every tournament it's a complete hodge podge. Maybe make it at least 4 locals and each given a region like karachi dolphins , Faisal ad wolves, etc and the captain has to be local to region. Exception could be make for one or two regions. Then make it consistent for at least one day and national t20. Ideal even pentangular trophy.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Rizwan and Shadab look forward to Champions One-Day Cup​

Mohammad Rizwan will be marshalling the Wolves side with Misbah being the mentor. The home team will be looking to make a successful start to the Champions One-Day Cup when they will feature in the tournament opener against the Shadab Khan’s Panthers on Thursday, 12 September, at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.

“It is heartening to see a highly-competitive domestic tournament like the Champions One-Day Cup coming to life in Faisalabad. I’m excited to be leading the Wolves, which is like a home team as our academy is based in this vibrant city,” Rizwan told PCB Digital Channel.

Rizwan expected the local crowd to get behind his team and this support will be crucial to the Wolves as they aim to reap glory in their backyard.

“I’m eagerly looking forward to the local crowd supporting Wolves during the tournament and I feel they are going to act as the 12th player for us. With the help of the Almighty, we will try our best to perform well in this tournament.”

Talking about the blend of youth and experience, Rizwan said: “Usually we don’t see such a dynamic blend of the international and young players in domestic competitions and teams but the Champions One-Day Cup stands out in this regard as all the teams have a number of international, domestic and young players on their rosters.”

WOLVES: Mohammad Rizwan (captain, Peshawar), Fakhar Zaman (Abbottabad), Abdul Samad (Faisalabad), Akif Javed (FATA), Ali Usman (Multan), Bilawal Bhatti (Muridke), Haseebullah (Pishin), Iftikhar Ahmed (Peshawar), Kamran Ghulam (Peshawar), Mohammad Faizan (Faisalabad), Mohammad Imran Jnr (Peshawar), Mohammad Sarwar Afridi (FATA), Muhammad Imran (Khanewal), Naseem Shah (Lahore), Nisar Ahmed (Lahore), Salman Ali Agha (Lahore), Shahnawaz Dahani (Larkana), Zahid Mehmood (Dadu) and Zain Abbas (Multan)

Schedule of Wolves’ matches (all their matches will start at 3pm):

12 Sep – Wolves v Panthers

15 Sep – Wolves v Stallions

17 Sep – Dolphins v Wolves

20 Sep – Lions v Wolves

Shadab Khan (Panthers captain)

Shadab Khan will lead the Panthers in the Champions One-Day Cup. Under the mentorship of former Pakistan coach and spinner, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shadab will lead out the Panthers team at a venue where it all started for him in List-A cricket in 2016.

“I’m really excited on my return to Faisalabad for the Champions One-Day Cup because this is where my List-A career started back in the 2015-16 domestic season. It will be a proud feeling for me to return as a more experienced player than when I started out as a teenager. “

Talking about the importance and the timing of the Champions One-Day Cup, Shadab supported the idea of playing 50-over cricket at the start of a season in which Pakistan will take part in more than 15 ODIs within four months, including the all-important ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

“I appreciate the PCB for arranging the Champions One-Day Cup right at the start of the domestic season because the white-ball challenge for the Pakistan team is quite demanding in the next six months. This tournament will help most of the players to find their momentum right at the start of the season. “

Shadab also understands the importance of starting any tournament well and that was only possible with a relaxed environment that helped everyone put their best step forward. Being the leader of a fairly young side, Shadab had a few plans on his mind, which will help them do well in the Champions One-Day Cup.

“Being the captain of the Panthers side, I’ll do my best create an environment which helps the players excel in their roles during the tournament. My focus will be on easing the pressure and squeezing the best performances out of the players during this tournament and to lead by example.”

Panthers Squad (The squad will be trimmed to 15 members on 10 September): Shadab Khan (captain, Islamabad), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Quetta), Ahmed Bashir (Lahore), Ali Asfand (Faisalabad), Ali Raza (Sheikhupura), Amad Butt (Sialkot), Arafat Minhas (Multan), Azan Awais (Sialkot), Haider Ali (Attock), Mohammad Hasnain (Hyderabad), Mohammad Umar (Karachi), Mohammad Zeeshan (Faisalabad), Mubasir Khan (Rawalpindi), Rehan Afridi (Khyber), Rizwan Mehmood (Hyderabad), Saim Ayub (Karachi), Umar Siddiq (Lahore), Usama Mir (Sialkot), Usman Khan (Karachi) and Usman Salahuddin (Lahore)

Mentor – Saqlain Mushtaq

Schedule of the Panthers’ matches (Day match will start at 9.30am, day/night matches will begin at 3pm):

12 Sep – Wolves v Panthers (d/n)

14 Sep – Dolphins v Panthers (d/n)

16 Sep – Lions v Panthers (d)

21 Sep – Panthers v Stallions (d/n)

 

[RidiculousMan]

Looking at the reception for these teams and cricketers in Faisalabad. A city who has been strived of any sort of quality Cricket. I reckon in most games you will see full house crowd. A lot of cheers and a buzzy atmosphere. Particularly on weekends.

Which will translate into media taking up its news and covering the tournament a lot more. At the end fans will question why Faisalabad was strived of Cricket and why it did not had any PSL or international matches before.

 

[zarak]

He’s got a big recovery job on his hands considering a lot of good players left Pakistan because of Imran Khan’s rubbish decisions in 2019.

which ones. Only the likes of Sami Aslam, Hammad Azam, Eshsan Adil, and Mukhtar Ahmed come to mind. None of them were particularly great.

 

[FearlessRoar]

The preparations for the Champions Cup are in full swing

Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Mohsin Naqvi, paid a late-night visit to the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.

During his visit, Chairman Naqvi inspected the ground and enclosures.

He also reviewed the arrangements made in the grounds and enclosures for the upcoming Champions Cup matches.

 

[CleverSir]

The preparations for the Champions Cup are in full swing

Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Mohsin Naqvi, paid a late-night visit to the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.

During his visit, Chairman Naqvi inspected the ground and enclosures.

He also reviewed the arrangements made in the grounds and enclosures for the upcoming Champions Cup matches.

Looks like a better ground than Pindi. Why don’t we use this for home tests instead of Pindi?

 

[CleverSir]

Does anyone know the coaching staffs of each team? Who’s setting the strategy and doing the day to day coaching stuff?

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

Looks like a better ground than Pindi. Why don’t we use this for home tests instead of Pindi?

Because Faisalabad is a run down shanty town and Pindi is next to Islamabad which is more palatable for foreign teams.

Does Faisalabad even have a decent hotel? Can they gaurantee no food poisoning?

I would not send visiting teams to any of these towns and keep them to Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. Even Lahore and Karachi are run down cities and not fit to host foreign visitors.

 

[Savak]

Because Faisalabad is a run down shanty town and Pindi is next to Islamabad which is more palatable for foreign teams.

Does Faisalabad even have a decent hotel? Can they gaurantee no food poisoning?

I would not send visiting teams to any of these towns and keep them to Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. Even Lahore and Karachi are run down cities and not fit to host foreign visitors.

I have heard and read that Faisalabad has better hotels than Multan. We have already had international teams play in Multan.
Iqbal Stadium facilities require upgrading, the media, dressing room and spectator facilities are not up to par with international standards right now.

You also have to take into account the Barmy Army, you can't put them in a stadium with poor infrastructure.

 

[CleverSir]

Because Faisalabad is a run down shanty town and Pindi is next to Islamabad which is more palatable for foreign teams.

Does Faisalabad even have a decent hotel? Can they gaurantee no food poisoning?

I would not send visiting teams to any of these towns and keep them to Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. Even Lahore and Karachi are run down cities and not fit to host foreign visitors.

Have you been to Lahore? It’s come a long way in terms of development. Never been to Karachi, so can’t comment.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Saud Shakeel looks forward to Champions One-Day Cup

• “This tournament provides an opportunity to the players to prove their mettle and impress the selectors to get selected in the national team,” says the Dolphins captain

Faisalabad, 10 September 2024:

Pakistan Test vice-captain is geared up to lead the Dolphins in the Champions One-Day Cup, which gets underway at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on Thursday, 12 September. The final of the five-team season-opening tournament will be played on 29 September. All matches, except the 16 September match, will begin at 3pm local time.

The Dolphins will be mentored by the former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and will take on Shadab Khan’s Panthers on Saturday, 14 September, which will be mentored by former off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq.

The 29-year-old Saud, who has represented Pakistan in 15 ODIs, talked about his team’s combination and how the experience of Sarfaraz Ahmed as mentor can help the side to do well in the tournament.

“We have a well-balanced side going into the Champions One-Day Cup,” Saud told PCB Digital, adding: “The focus is on maintaining a strong combination of experienced players and young talent. This tournament provides an opportunity to the players to prove their mettle and impress the selectors to get selected in the national team.

“Having Sarfaraz Ahmed in the team as a player and mentor is a massive boost for us. His insights and leadership on and off the field will help young players to develop their game.”

Talking about the importance of the inaugural edition of the tournament, Saud said: “This inaugural edition of the Champions One-Day Cup is going to be crucial for domestic cricket in Pakistan.

“It gives players a big stage to showcase their skills, especially in the 50-over format, which is vital with the upcoming international fixtures. The competition will be intense and it will provide fans to come in good amount to cherish their favourite players performances.”

Dolphins squad (to be trimmed to 15 on 10 September): Saud Shakeel (captain, Karachi), Aftab Ibrahim (Karachi), Asif Ali (Faisalabad), Awais Ali (Gujranwala), Faheem Ashraf (Kasur), Kashif Ali (Rawalpindi), Mir Hamza (Karachi), Mohammad Huraira (Sialkot), Mohammad Abbas Afridi (Peshawar), Muhammad Akhlaq (Kamoki), Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (Karachi), Muhammad Riazullah (Peshawar), Noman Ali (Hyderabad), Qasim Akram (Lahore), Sameen Gul (Jamrud), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Karachi), Sahibzada Farhan (Peshawar), Sufiyan Moqim (Kotli), Umar Amin (Rawalpindi) and Usman Qadir (Lahore)

Mentor – Sarfaraz Ahmed

Schedule of Dolphins’ matches (matches will start at 3pm):

14 Sep – Dolphins v Panthers

17 Sep – Dolphins v Wolves

19 Sep – Stallions v Dolphins

22 Sep – Dolphins v Lions

 

[W63L35]

Three out of five captains are from Peshawar... interesting!

Here is the list of cities and the number of players from that city - before the squads get trimmed down to 15 each.

Six players from Islamabad but only one player from Gujranwala. I would have expected more players from Karachi.

 

[offstump]

Is this going to be televised? Anyone know which channels in and out of Pakistan?