Tag: Champions Cup

LAHORE: Former Pakistan captain and all-format head coach Misbah-ul-Haq has been confirmed as mentor of the Wolves side for next month’s Champions One-Day Cup, which will be played in Faisalabad from 12-29 September.

Prior to Misbah, Shoaib Malik was named as the mentor of the Stallions side on Thursday, while announcements of team names for the other three mentors – Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Waqar Younis – will be made in the coming days.

While Shoaib Malik’s Stallions has been allocated Sialkot Cricket Academy for training and practice during the 2024-25 domestic cricket season, Misbah’s side has been allocated Faisalabad Cricket Academy to prepare for the events during the upcoming season.

The Champions One-Day Cup will feature the country’s 150 best of the best cricketers. This will be a 50-over tournament that will be played in a single-league format.

All but the 16 September match between Lions and Panthers, which will start at 9.30 am, will commence at 3 pm. There will be three playoffs in four days with the final on Sunday, 29 September.

Misbah-ul-Haq’s Wolves will take on Panthers on the opening day on 12 September, followed by matches against Stallions (15 September), Dolphins (17 September) and Lions (20 September).

Misbah ul Haq is Pakistan’s most successful Test captain, who led his side to victories in 26 out of 56 Tests, including the country to No.1 in the ICC Test Team Rankings in August 2016.

Before that, he equalled the then-world record of the fastest Test century by hitting a 56-ball 100 against Australia in Abu Dhabi in 2014.

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Misbah-ul-Haq has featured in two 50-over World Cups, three T20 World Cups and three ICC Champions Trophy events for Pakistan.

He was a member of the side that played in the final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2007 and won the tournament two years later at Lord’s.

“I am excited to reunite with Wolves as a mentor and play a crucial role in shaping the future of our emerging cricketers,” said Misbah.

“This role not only allows me to share my experience and knowledge to help them refine their skills but also gives me a chance to complete some unfinished business from 2019 and bring my vision to life.

“The Champions One-Day Cup is an electrifying event where the best players in the country will compete fiercely in a format where every match is crucial.

“This tournament promises to deliver high-quality cricket to Faisalabad fans and inspire our players to perform at their peak, while also providing a platform for the PCB to showcase and elevate this premier event.

“I believe this tournament will be pivotal in discovering the next generation of talent who can be developed to represent Pakistan on the international stage.

“With upcoming ODIs against Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, a home tri-series, and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, there is no better time to identify and nurture our future stars.”

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LAHORE: Former Pakistan captain and two-time ICC Event winner Shoaib Malik will mentor the Stallions in next month’s Champions One-Day Cup, which will be played at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad from 12-29 September.

Shoaib Malik was one of the five champion mentors unveiled by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) earlier this week.

Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Waqar Younis are the other four mentors, who will reveal their side names and logos in PCB-arranged media conferences as part of promotion and publicity as well as creating Champions Cup brand awareness.

The Champions One-Day Cup will feature the 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 the 16 September match between Lions and Panthers, which will start at 9.30 am, will commence at 3 pm. There will be three playoffs in four days with the final on Sunday, 29 September.

Shoaib Malik’s Stallions will take on Lions on 13 September, followed by matches against Wolves (15 September), Dolphins (19 September) and Panthers (21 September).

Shoaib Malik represented Pakistan in the 2007 and 2019 ODI World Cups, as well as six T20 World Cups and six Champions Trophy tournaments. Under his captaincy, Pakistan reached the final of the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007.

Malik is 33rd on the list of ODI players with 1,000 runs, 50 wickets and 50 catches. He also holds the record for one of the longest international careers, spanning nearly 20 years, having played in 35 Tests, 287 ODIs and 124 T20Is.

He has scored 11,867 runs and taken 218 wickets across formats and is considered one of the most sought-after cricketers in franchise cricket.

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“I am thrilled to be appointed as a mentor for the Stallions, a team with which I have shared many memorable moments as a player and captain,” said Shoaib Malik.

“Now, to return in the role of a mentor is an incredible opportunity. I am confident that I can still contribute significantly to the Stallion brand by sharing my experience and passion for the game.

“As a mentor, my role goes beyond just providing guidance from the dugout. I will also take to the field in select matches to impart my firsthand knowledge and experience.

“This will enable our upcoming cricketers to refine their skills and elevate their game, ultimately supporting the Pakistan Cricket Board’s efforts to bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket.

“I am a strong advocate of the Champions Cup format, which unites the best talents from our domestic cricket in a highly competitive, high-pressure environment.

“While there will be fierce battles for supremacy on the field, there will also be intense rivalries among the mentors as we strive to outmanoeuvre each other, bringing an extra layer of excitement to every match.

“In cricket, as in any field, the learning process never truly ends, but it can certainly be accelerated.

“With this in mind, I am optimistic that the Champions Cup, guided by our experienced mentors, skilled coaching staff, and live broadcasts, will significantly strengthen our domestic cricket structure. This, in turn, will cultivate more skilled and talented players, ready to take on the global stage.

“Of course, such progress won’t happen overnight, but with patience and persistence, we can achieve our shared goals.

“I eagerly anticipate the support of our dedicated Stallion fans and the media throughout the Champions Cup. Together, we can develop new champions who will bring glory not just to the team, but to our region and our country.”

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced the names of five participating teams and the schedule for the upcoming Champions One-Day Cup.

The five teams — Dolphins, Lions, Panthers, Stallions and Wolves will square off in the single-league tournament at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad from 12 September.

The opening match will be played between the Wolves and the Panthers, while the final is scheduled to be played on 29 September.

Except for the 16 September match between Lions and Panthers, which will commence at 9.30 am local time, all other 13 matches will begin at 3 pm.

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Lions and Panthers will go toe to toe in a morning match to allow Pakistan women’s versus South Africa women’s T20I to be broadcast live.

The PCB on Monday announced Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik and Waqar Younis as mentors of the five Champions Cup sides.

However, their team and the 15-player squads of each time will be revealed in the coming days.

Champions One-Day Cup

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

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Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik and Waqar Younis were today confirmed as mentors of the five Champions Cup sides on three-year contracts following a transparent and robust recruitment process.

Names of their sides and squads will be confirmed in due course.

The first assignment of the mentors in the PCB Domestic Cricket Season 2024-25 will be the Champions One-Day Cup, which will be held at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad from 12 to 29 September.

The Best of the best cricketers from the country will feature in the single-league competition that will also serve as the homecoming of men’s seniors’ competitive cricket in Faisalabad after nearly two years.

The last domestic men’s 50-over match played at the Iqbal Stadium was in March 2022 between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The five Champions Cup side mentors have played 1,621 international matches between them, scoring a total of 32,780 runs and taking 1,503 wickets between them.

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Of the five, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik are two-time ICC Event winners, Misbah is a one-time ICC Event winner and ACC Asia Cup 2012 winning captain, while Saqlain and Waqar were members of the side that played in the 1999 World Cup final.

“I am pleased to welcome five exceptional champions as mentors for the Champions Cup teams. These individuals bring a wealth of cricketing experience, knowledge and expertise, which, combined with their passion for the game we all love, will help the Pakistan Cricket Board identify, develop and nurture the next generation of cricketers across all formats. This initiative will not only benefit the Pakistan men’s cricket team but also help bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket,” PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said.

“These five mentors will play a pivotal role in the development and progression of our emerging cricketers. They will guide strategic planning and team-building processes, while also providing support in leadership and personal development.

“The PCB is committed to strengthening Pakistan’s cricket through a robust domestic structure that offers a clear and competitive pathway for all cricketers. The most talented and skilled players will advance through the ranks to represent Pakistan at the highest level.”

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the addition of three Champions tournaments as part of the Men’s Domestic Cricket Season 2024-25 on Monday.

These tournaments have been announced to bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket, provide a tougher, more competitive and high-pressure cricket playing environment, and create better and enhanced earning opportunities for its future stars.

The Champions One-Day Cup, Champions T20 Cup and Champions First-Class Cup will join the National T20 Cup, Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (regional first-class tournament), President’s Trophy (departmental first-class tournament), President’s Cup (departmental 50-over event), and HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 in the 2024-25 domestic cricket season, expected to run from 1 September 2024 to 5 August 2025.

With the addition of three Champions tournaments, the PCB will now organise a total of 261 matches across eight men’s senior tournaments.

This includes 131 first-class matches in three events, 40 50-over matches in two events and 97 T20 matches in three events.

In the 2023-24 season, the PCB had organised 203 matches in the six men’s senior tournaments, including 51 first-class matches in two tournaments, 55 50-over matches in two events and 97 T20 matches.

Salient features of the newly-introduced Champions tournaments are:

• Five sides – Dolphins, Lions, Panthers, Stallions and Wolves – will compete in each Champions Cup event

• Each Champions Cup event will be played in a double-league format

• Around 150 of the country’s highest-performing domestic players from the past three years and centrally contracted players will be available for selection (more details to be shared in due course)

• Each side will have a former Pakistan superstar as a mentor and potentially as an owner (mentor and owner names/details to be announced in due course)

• Player support personnel of each side are expected to include: Head Coach (at least Level 3, minimum five years with a first-class side), batting/bowling/fielding coaches (minimum Level 3, three-year experience), Strength and Conditioning Coach, Physiotherapist, Analyst, Operations Manager, and Media/Digital Media Manager

• Each side will be allocated a dedicated Regional High-Performance Centre in Faisalabad (High-Performance Centre Faisalabad), Karachi (Hanif Mohammad High-Performance Centre), Lahore (National Cricket Academy), Multan (Inzamam-ul-Haq High-Performance Centre), and Sialkot (High-Performance Centre, Sialkot) for training and practice

• Enhanced domestic contracts will be offered to 150 cricketers as Category 1: 40 players, PKR550,000 per month; Category 2: 50 players, PKR400,000 per month; Category 3: 60 players, PKR250,000 per month.
  In the 2023-24 season, domestic contracts were offered as PKR300,000 for A+ Category, PKR200,000 for A Category, PKR185,000 for B Category, PKR170,000 for C Category, PKR150,000 for D Category, PKR100,000 for E Category, and PKR50,000 for F Category

• In addition to the monthly retainers, players will receive improved match fees as follows: PKR200,000 for red-ball cricket, PKR125,000 for 50-over matches and PKR100,000 for T20 matches.
  In the 2023-24 season, match fees were PKR80,000 and PKR40,000 for red and white-ball cricket, respectively

• Each side will have a Corporate Sponsor and Media Partner. Other revenue streams will include broadcast and live-streaming rights, event title sponsorship, ground branding rights and ticket sales/merchandise

The Champions One-Day Cup will serve as the season opener of the PCB Men’s Domestic Cricket Season 2024-25 when the 21-match tournament is played from 1-29 September.

Curtains will fall on the PCB Men’s Domestic Cricket Season 2024-25 with the Champions First-Class Cup, which will be held from 28 May to 5 August.

In addition to the eight men’s senior tournaments in the period from August 2024 to September 2025, the PCB will also organise 11 development/pathway tournaments which will be separate from the three Pakistan Shaheens and one Pakistan U19 away series.

This potentially means the budding and upcoming youngsters are expected to get around 13,000 matches at the schools, colleges, universities, clubs, U15, U17, U19, Regional Inter-District Senior and Challenge League Senior levels across all formats to test their skills, impress their coaches and selectors with their performances, make themselves available for selection in the regional, departmental, franchise and Champions sides and, in the meantime, continue to walk up the ladder in pursuit of their dreams.

While announcing the new domestic structure, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi referred to the introduction of the Champions Tournament as a bold move to guide Pakistan cricket in the right direction.

“Our current standings – sixth in Tests, fourth in ODIs and seventh in T20Is – do not reflect the true potential and legacy of Pakistan cricket,” said Naqvi.

“To restore our rightful place at the top of world cricket, we must innovate and strategically enhance, expand and strengthen our domestic structure. The introduction of the three Champions tournaments is a bold step in this direction.

He also shared that international players would also participate in these tournaments, which will help transfer their extensive experience and knowledge to young players.

“The Champions tournaments will bring together our most talented and consistent performers from domestic cricket with our centrally contracted players, creating an environment that mirrors the intensity of international cricket,” he added.

“With broadcast matches, legendary mentors, elite coaching staff and extensive media coverage, these tournaments will provide our players with the exposure and experience they need.

“These tournaments are not just about bridging the gap between domestic and international cricket, they are about revolutionising and rejuvenating our entire cricketing ecosystem.

“By establishing a clear and progressive pathway from clubs, schools and universities to intra-district, inter-district, to regional/department competitions, we are nurturing the next generation of cricketing stars.

“The Champions tournaments will offer our players a platform to experience the rigours and pressures of international cricket right here at home. This is crucial for building a robust and highly competitive domestic structure that consistently produces world-class talent.

“I am incredibly optimistic about the future of Pakistan cricket. The investments we are making through the Champions tournaments will pay immense dividends. We are dedicated to identifying, nurturing and preparing our best talent to represent Pakistan on the global stage.”

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