Champions One-Day Cup Archives

Panthers thump Markhors to clinch Champions One-Day Cup title

FAISALABAD: Mohammad Hasnain and Arafat Minhas took three wickets each, while Abdul Wahid Bangalzai played a 41-run knock to help the Panthers crush Markhors and clinch the Champions One-Day Cup title here on Sunday.

Chasing a meagre 123-run target, Panthers’ captain Shadab Khan sealed the victory with a six off Shahnawaz Dahani on the last ball of the 18th over.

Panthers started the chase strongly with a 51-run opening stand between Umar Siddiq and Abdul Wahid Bangalzai.

However, Shahnawaz halted their progress as he castled Umar after he scored 19 runs from 21 balls with three boundaries.

Sajid Khan, who was promoted up to bat at number three, scored 15 off 13 before Akif Javed ended his brief stay at the crease.

Usman Khan also fell prey to Akif in the next over after scoring 13 off eight with one four and one six.

Meanwhile, Bangalzai played a solid 41-run knock to keep the Panthers in the hunt before Mohammad Imran removed him and Haider Ali in the same over.

However, the Panthers comfortably chased the total in 18 overs with Rizwan Mehmood scoring an unbeaten 16, while Shadab Khan scored 14 off nine.

For Markhors, Akif Javed and Mohammad Imran claimed two wickets each while Shahnawaz Dahani bagged one wicket.

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Markhors’ captain Iftikhar Ahmed opted to bat first in the final of the inaugural season of the Champions One-Day Cup, however, the decision backfired.

Mohammad Hasnain removed Zain Abbas, who was promoted to open the innings, in the second over with only 13 runs on the board.

Meanwhile, Kamran Ghulam, who is the second-highest run-scorer in the Champions One-Day Cup, failed on the big occasion, falling prey to young speedster Ali Raza after scoring a mere two runs.

Fakhar Zaman and Haseebullah Khan showed resistance with a 56-run partnership for the third wicket before Sajid Khan castled the latter.

Haseebullah played a scratchy knock of 27 runs from 48 balls with the help of three boundaries.

Meanwhile, Fakhar also fell to Sajid in the next over after top-scoring with a 46-run knock from 49 balls, laced with five boundaries and one six.

Markhors failed to recover and suffered a dramatic collapse as they lost their six wickets for 38 runs, bundling out for a meagre 122 runs.

Young spinner Arafat Minhas returned with brilliant bowling figures of 3-1 for Panthers, while Hasnain took three wickets for 38 runs. Sajid Khan bagged two crucial wickets, while Ali Raza and Shadab Khan bagged one each.

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Champions Cup: Toss of Markhors-Lions Eliminator delayed

FAISALABAD: The toss of the Champions One-Day Cup’s Eliminator 2 between the Markhors and the Lions has been delayed due to the wet outfield here on Friday.

The winner of the Eliminator will face the winners of the Qualifier — Panthers, led by all-rounder Shadab Khan, in the final on 29 September.

Notably, Panthers outclassed Mohammad Rizwan-led Markhors by seven wickets to qualify for the Champions One-Day Cup final.

Saim Ayub played a pivotal role in guiding his side to victory in the high-stakes clash by backing his five-wicket haul with an anchoring knock up the order in the run chase.

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He was supported by wicketkeeper batter Usman Khan, who scored a quickfire half-century to steer the Panthers to a statement victory with 158 balls to spare.

Meanwhile, the Lions defeated Stallions with a narrow 12-run margin in the Champions One-Day Cup Eliminator to set up the Eliminator 2 against Markhors.

It’s worth noting that the players selected in Pakistan’s squad for the first Test against England have been withdrawn from Champions One-Day Cup squads.

Consequently, the Lions will be without their captain Shaheen Afridi, all-rounder Aamir Jamal and opening batter Abdullah Shafique, meanwhile, Markhors will be missing skipper Mohammad Rizwan, as well as all-rounder Salman Ali Agha and pace bowler Naseem Shah.

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Babar Azam achieves major milestone with Champions Cup century

Pakistan’s white-ball captain Babar Azam achieved a major milestone on Thursday, becoming the first batter from the country to score 30 centuries in List-A cricket.

Babar Azam was under tight scrutiny due to his below-par performances in international cricket, the highlight of which was his dismal run in the two-match home Test series against Bangladesh.

He crashed out of the top ten list in the ICC Test Batting Rankings after a forgettable home series against Bangladesh, where he managed 64 runs in four innings.

However, it seems like the star batter is finding his rhythm back during the ongoing Champions One-Day Cup, where he is representing Stallions.

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During yesterday’s clash against Saud Shakeel-led Dolphins, Babar scored an unbeaten century, which helped etched his name in the history.

The right-handed batter has scored 30 centuries in List-A cricket, which is the most by any Pakistani batter, while Khurram Manzoor is second on the list with 27 centuries.

Babar Azam’s 104-run knock guided Stallions to a 271-run total in their game, which they successfully defended to register their second victory in the tournament.

The Dolphins’ batting unit skittled for a meagre 97 runs in 25 overs and thus succumbed to a crushing 174-run defeat, their third in the ongoing Champions One-Day Cup.

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Asif Ali aims to earn Pakistan recall with strong Champions Cup display

Pakistan’s aggressive middle-order batter Asif Ali has shared that he is aiming to earn a recall to the national white-ball team with his performance in the ongoing Champions One-Day Cup.

Asif Ali is representing Saud Shakeel-led Dolphins in the Champions One-Day Cup and strong a quick half-century in yesterday’s 92-run loss against Markhors.

During an interview with a local news channel, Asif expressed his goal to give strong performances throughout the tournament that could pave the way for his return to the national team.

He also shared that he used to bat at number four in domestic cricket, however, after his international debut, he had to settle at number six spot. The change in batting order posed a new challenge for the explosive batter.

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“The transition from No. 4 to No. 6 is not easy,” Asif said. “Training specifically for your position is crucial in international cricket. When you’re accustomed to playing higher up the order domestically, the shift to a lower spot at the international level can be demanding.”

He also opened up about Dolphins’ loss against Markhors, emphasizing that he would not have opted to field first, considering the pitch conditions.

“The pitch favoured bowlers in the later stages of the game, making batting difficult,” he said. “There was moisture early on, and that’s why Dolphins’ management chose to field first.”

“If they had asked me, I would have advised them not to fall for that and opt to bat first,” he added.

Asif Ali has represented Pakistan in 21 ODIs and 58 T20Is since his debut in 2018. He has scored 382 runs in ODI cricket and 577 runs in T20Is.

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Markhors crush Dolphins to stay perfect in Champions One-Day Cup

FAISALABAD: Kamran Ghulam’s dominant century, followed by a combined bowling effort led Markhors to a thumping 92-run victory over Dolphins in the sixth match of the ongoing Champions One-Day Cup here at Iqbal Stadium on Wednesday.

Set to chase a daunting 285, the Dolphins’ batting lineup faltered and could accumulate 192 before being bundled out in 43.5 overs.

The Dolphins had a dismal start to the pursuit as they lost two wickets inside the first five overs with just 13 runs on the board.

Following the early debacle, skipper Saud Shakeel joined in-form opener Sahibzada Farhan in the middle and briefly anchored the innings with a 46-run partnership.

Salman Ali Agha broke the budding partnership in the 13th over by getting Farhan stumped. The right-handed opener scored a cautious 24 off 35 deliveries.

Saud was then involved in a brief fourth-wicket partnership with Qasim Akram (13) before being removed by Agha in the 23rd over. He remained a notable run-getter for the Dolphins with a 56-ball 41.

Asif Ali then took the reigns of the Dolphins’ run chase and scored a fighting half-century. His resilience, however, came to an end in the 37th over, leaving his side reeling at 161/8.

Asif remained the top-scorer for the Dolphins with a brisk 50, coming off 43 deliveries and featuring three fours and as many sixes.

Later, Markhors’ bowlers ran through the Dolphins’ batting tail and steered their side to a statement victory.

For Markhors, Salman Ali Agha and Mohammad Imran bagged three wickets each while Iftikhar Ahmed, Zahid Mahmood, Naseem Shah and Akif Javed shared four wickets between them.

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Dolphins elected to field and Mir Hamza proved the decision right with his new ball spell, removing both openers inside five overs with ten runs on the board.

However, Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Rizwan raised a solid 122-run stand for the third wicket, lifting the team’s total to 132 in 27 overs.

Usman Qadir broke the partnership as he got Rizwan stumped soon after the wicketkeeper completed his half-century. Rizwan scored 51 runs from 67 balls with four boundaries, including one six.

Kamran Ghulam continued his onslaught during his 71-run partnership with Salman Ali Agha before Sameen Gul ended his entertaining knock. He top-scored with 113 runs off 110 balls which featured 12 boundaries and three sixes.

Markhors were eyeing a big total with 203 runs on the board and six wickets in hand in the 38th over, however, Faheem Ashraf rained on their parade. He picked three quick wickets in his next three overs, reducing Markhors to 235-7.

Salman Ali Agha departed after an anchoring 49-run knock from 47 balls with three fours and one six.

Mohammad Imran and Zahid Mahmood then added crucial 32 runs for the eighth wicket, with the former being the major run-scorer.

Faheem picked Imran’s wicket, who was playing at 27, while Zahid remained unbeaten at 15 off 14. Akif Javed hit the six on the last ball to push the team’s total to 284-9 in 50 overs.

For Dolphins, Faheem Ashraf topped the bowling charts with figures of 4-50, while Mir Hamza picked two wickets. Sameen Gul and Usman Qadir managed one wicket each.

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Champions Cup: Shadab, Usama spin web to help Panthers sink Lions

FAISALABAD: Shadab Khan and Usama Mir took three wickets each after Mubasir Khan and Haider Ali’s half-centuries to steer Panthers to an 84-run victory over Lions during the Champions One-Day Cup here at Iqbal Stadium on Monday.

Panthers were booked for 283 in the first innings, however, they successfully defended the total as they bundled Lions for a meagre 199.

Mohammad Hasnain provided the first breakthrough, dismissing Sajjad Ali in the first over with seven runs on the board.

Ammad Butt removed Abdullah Shafique in the next over, while Omair Bin Yousuf scored a quick 20 before getting run out, leaving Lions reeling at 44-3.

Imam-ul-Haq showed resistance as he stitched an 83-run stand with Irfan Khan for the fourth wicket, pushing the total to 127.

He looked in good touch during his 62-ball innings of 60, which was laced with five boundaries and two sixes before Shadab Khan ended his stay at the crease.

Meanwhile, Usama Mir removed Irfan Khan, who scored a cautious 35 off 50 balls with two boundaries and one six.

Khushdil Shah played a 32-ball knock, scoring 22 runs, while wickets kept falling around him. He also fell prey to Shadab Khan.

Ahmed Daniyal (16) and Sirajuddin (19) then added a 32-run stand for the ninth wicket before falling in consecutive overs, ending Panthers innings at 199.

Usama Mir and Shadab Khan claimed three wickets each, while Mohammad Hasnain picked two.

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Earlier, Panthers found themselves in a precarious position as they lost four wickets inside the first ten overs with 51 runs on the board.

Mubasir Khan and Haider Ali then knitted a solid partnership of 144 runs for the fifth wicket, completing their half-centuries in the process.

However, Mubasir missed his well-deserved century as Aamir Yamin ended his stellar knock, courtesy of Sirajuddin’s catch.

He remained the top-scorer for Panthers with 90 off 97, which featured ten boundaries and three sixes.

Meanwhile, Haider continued his strokeplay, adding another 67 runs for the sixth wicket with captain Shadab Khan (37).

At 262-5, Panthers were in a position to post a big total, however, Ahmed Daniyal removed Haider and Shadab in the same over to bring Lions back into the match.

Haider departed after scoring 84 runs from 99 balls, laced with five boundaries and three sixes, while Shadab scored a 29-ball 37 with five boundaries.

Panthers failed to recover and lost their next three wickets for only 20 runs, bundling out for 283 in 46.5 overs.

Ahmed Daniyal and Shaheen Afridi took three wickets each for Lions, while Aamir Yamin and Sirajuddin bagged two each.

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WATCH: Babar Azam hits Shahnawaz Dahani for five consecutive fours

FAISALABAD: Pakistan batter Babar Azam, representing Stallions in the Champions Cup, showed his batting masterclass by hitting Shahnawaz Dahani for five consecutive fours during the game against Markhors here on Sunday.

Coming to bowl the 8th over of the inning, his first, Dahani started with a dot ball, however, Babar Azam hit the second delivery for a four.

The right-handed batter then guided the third delivery through the third slip for another boundary.

The Pakistan white-ball captain was not finished as he hit Shahnawaz Dahani for consecutive fours on the remaining deliveries of his first over, which proved to be his only over in the match.

However, Babar Azam failed to stay at the crease for a long period as he was dismissed by spinner Zahid Mahmood in the 16th over.

He departed after scoring 45 off 44 deliveries, leaving Stallions reeling at 85 for the loss of four wickets as they continued their chase of a 232-run target.

After Babar’s dismissal, Stallions’ batters failed to pose any threat to the spin attack of Zahid Mahmood and Salman Ali Agha as they bundled out for a meagre 105 runs in 23.4 overs.

Except for Shan Masood (19) and Babar Azam, no other batter managed to reach the double figures.

Zahid Mahmood claimed 5-18, while Salman Ali Agha and Naseem Shah managed three and two wickets respectively.

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Zahid Mahmood’s five-fer powers Markhors to thumping victory over Stallions

FAISALABAD: Zahid Mahmood claimed 5-18, while Salman Ali Agha took three wickets to lead Markhors to a thumping 126-run victory against Stallions in the fourth match of the Champions One-Day Cup here at Iqbal Stadium on Sunday.

Stallions got off to a shaky start while chasing 232 as Naseem Shah removed both openers inside ten overs.

However, Babar Azam kept Stallions in the hunt with his elegant batting display, scoring 45 runs from 44 balls with the help of eight boundaries.

Meanwhile, Salman Ali Agha dismissed Tayyab Tahir (5) in the 15th over with 79 runs on the board.

Mohammad Rizwan introduced Zahid Mahmood in the next over and the decision proved fruitful as the leg-spinner removed Babar Azam off the first ball.

With the scoreboard reading 79-4 and the pitch offering some assistance to the spinners, Markhors capitalized by taking wickets at regular intervals.

Stallions’ batters failed to pose any threat to the spin attack of Zahid Mahmood and Salman Ali Agha as they bundled out for a meagre 105 runs in 23.4 overs.

Except for Shan Masood (19) and Babar Azam, no other batter managed to reach the double figures.

Zahid Mahmood took the final wicket of Abrar Ahmed to complete his five-wicket haul, while Salman Ali Agha and Naseem Shah managed three and two wickets respectively.

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Earlier, Markhors had a similar start to their innings after opting to bat first as they found themselves struggling at 38-3 in 8.3 overs.

Captain Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha helped Markhors make a comeback with a 56-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

However, Mehran Mumtaz removed Rizwan, who was playing at 33, to halt Markhors’ progress.

Salman Ali Agha remained firm and stitched a 65-run stand with Iftikhar Ahmed, completing his half-century in the process. He fell prey to Jahandad Khan right after reaching the milestone.

Iftikhar Ahmed was joined by Abdul Samad, who played a blistering knock in the Champions Cup opener against the Panthers and started his innings in the same flow today.

Abdul Samad played a 35-ball knock of 37 runs, laced with five boundaries and one six, adding 62 runs for the sixth wicket before Mehran Mumtaz ended his entertaining knock.

Samad departed with the scoreboard reading 221-6, however, Markhors lost the next four wickets for only ten runs as they got bundled out for 231.

Iftikhar Ahmed was the top-scorer for Markhors with 60 runs from 66 balls, featuring eight boundaries.

Jahandad Khan led the bowling attack for Stallions with the figures of 4-49, while Mehran Mumtaz claimed three wickets.

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All-round Stallions thump Lions to script triumphant Champions Cup start

FAISALABAD: A combined batting effort, followed by Haris Rauf’s 3/43 powered Stallions to a thumping 133-run victory over Lions in the second match of the Champions One-Day Cup here at Iqbal Stadium on Friday.

Set to chase 337, the Lions’ batting unit unfolded on a meagre 203 in the 40th over, thus succumbing to a dismal start to their Champions One-Day Cup campaign.

Opening batter Imam-ul-Haq waged a lone battle for the Lions with a gutsy 78-run knock while the next best contribution was Sharoon Siraj’s 28.

All-rounder Aamer Yamin and skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi were the other notable run-getters for the Lions with 22 each while the rest seemed clueless against a disciplined Stallions’ bowling attack.

Haris Rauf led the bowling attack for the Stallions, picking up three wickets, followed by Jahandad Khan and Mohammad Ali, who bagged two wickets each.

Abrar Ahmed, Hussain Talat and Mehran Mumtaz, on the other hand, shared three wickets between them.

Stallions’ captain Mohammad Haris’ decision to bat first after winning the toss, bore fruits as his batters responded well by accumulating 336/5 in the allotted overs.

The Stallions, however, had a cautious start to their innings as they lost opening batter Yasir Khan (13) in the eighth over with just 35 runs on the board.

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Star batter Babar Azam then joined Shan Masood in the middle and together they raised 39 runs for the second wicket until the latter was cleaned up by Faisal Akram in the 16th over.

Masood fell narrowly short of his well-deserved half-century, scoring 41 off 53 deliveries with the help of six fours.

Babar Azam then joined forces with Tayyab Tahir and the duo batted sensibly to anchor the Stallions’ innings.

Babar and Tayyab registered a brilliant 114-run partnership for the third wicket amid which both scored half-centuries.

Babar finally perished in the 35th over, attempting to pull Shaheen Afridi for a six, but ended up being caught at deep mid-wicket.

He remained the top-scorer for Stallions with a 79-ball 76, which featured nine fours.

Tayyab soon followed suit as he walked back in the 39th over after getting bowled by Aamir Jamal. He smashed seven fours and two sixes on his way to a 72-ball 74.

Skipper Mohammad Haris and experienced Hussain Talat then bolstered Stallions’ total with a brisk 88-run partnership, which lasted with the former’s dismissal in the 47th over.

Haris scored 55 off 36 deliveries with the help of four fours and as many sixes, while Talat remained unbeaten with a 33-ball 50, laced up with six fours and a six.

For the Lions, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Aamir Jamal bagged two wickets each while Faisal Akram made one scalp.

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Kamran Ghulam, pacers steer Markhors to dominant win against Panthers

FAISALABAD: Kamran Ghulam’s century, followed by a dominant performance by the pacers helped Markhors thump Panthers by 160 runs in the opening match of the Champions One-Day Cup here on Thursday.

Shadab Khan-led Panthers bundled for a meagre 187 in 34.5 overs while chasing a mammoth 348.

They had a horrible start to their chase as Naseem Shah and Akif Javed’s new ball spell left them reeling at 52-6 in ten overs.

Mubasir Khan (33) and Ammad Butt showed resistance with a 59-run partnership for the seventh wicket before Akif struck again to remove the former.

Ammad added another 59 runs with Usama Mir (21) to push the total to 170 but Shahnawaz Dahani dismissed Mir to break the partnership in the 31st over.

Ammad, who top-scored for the Panthers with 72, got clean bowled by Zahid Mehmood before Dahani wrapped up the innings with the wicket of Mohammad Hasnain.

For the Markhors, Naseem and Akif both claimed three wickets, while Dahani grabbed two.

Panthers invited Markhors to bat first and they removed both openers in 13.2 overs with 64 runs on the board.

Kamran Ghulam and skipper Mohammad Rizwan then joined hands, constructing a solid 133-run stand for the third wicket.

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Ghulam attacked the Panthers’ bowlers with his aggressive strokeplay while Rizwan played an anchor role, scoring 45 runs from 57 balls before falling to Mohammad Hasnain.

Mubasir Khan removed new batter Salman Ali Agha in the next over, bringing Iftikhar Ahmed to the crease.

Kamran Ghulam added 63 runs for the fifth wicket with Iftikhar Ahmed before Amad Butt caught him off Hasnain to end his entertaining knock.

Ghulam scored the first century of the Champions One-Day Cup, finishing his innings with 115 runs from 102 balls, laced with twelve boundaries and three sixes.

Abdul Samad joined Iftikhar and turned the game on its head with his belligerent hitting, hitting 62 runs from 25 balls with the help of four boundaries and six sixes.

Meanwhile, Iftikhar returned with an unbeaten 57 off 44, featuring seven boundaries and one six as Markhors scored 347-6 in 50 overs.

For the Panthers, Mubasir Khan and Hasnain picked two wickets each, while Amad Butt and Mohammad Zeeshan bagged one each.

Playing XIs

Panthers: Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Faizan, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan (c), Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Abdul Samad, Zahid Mahmood, Naseem Shah, Shahnawaz Dahani, Akif Javed

Markhors: Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Azan Awais, Haider Ali, Shadab Khan (c), Mubasir Khan, Amad Butt, Mohammad Hasnain, Usama Mir, Mohammad Zeeshan

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