Champions One-Day Cup Archives

Aima Baig set to perform during Champions One-Day Cup opener

FAISALABAD: Renowned Pakistan singer Aima Baig will perform at the mid-innings break during the opening match of the upcoming Champions One-Day Cup on Thursday.

The season opener will be played between Mohammad Rizwan-led Markhors (previously Wolves) and Shadab Khan-led Panthers at Iqbal Stadium. Aima Baig’s mid-innings performance will be followed by post-match fireworks.

The Champions One-Day Cup will feature the country’s top cricketers. This 50-over tournament will be played in a single-league format, where five teams will be mentored by stalwarts such as Misbah-ul-Haq (Markhors), Saqlain Mushtaq (Panthers), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Dolphins), Shoaib Malik (Stallions) and Waqar Younis (Lions).

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.

The winners of the Champions One-Day Cup will receive a prize money of PKR 30 million, while the runners-up will take home PKR 15 million.

Champions One-Day Cup Schedule

12 Sep – Markhors v Panthers

13 Sep – Stallions v Lions

14 Sep – Dolphins v Panthers

15 Sep – Markhors v Stallions

16 Sep – Lions v Panthers

17 Sep – Dolphins v Markhors

19 Sep – Stallions v Dolphins

20 Sep – Lions v Markhors

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

READ: Stallions skipper Haris picks strongest opposition in Champions Cup

Stallions skipper Haris picks strongest opposition in Champions Cup

Wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Haris, who will lead the Stallions in the upcoming Champions One-Day Cup, has picked the strongest opposition in the tournament.

During his appearance on the ARY News show “Sports Room,” the right-handed batter said that Mohammad Rizwan-led Markhors (previously Wolves) would be the strongest opposition to face in the Champions Cup.

“Our side will be the strongest in the tournament, but the strongest opposition would be Mohammad Rizwan’s team. We will enjoy playing against them,” he said.

Responding to a question, the wicketkeeping batter expressed hope that the Champions One-Day Cup would become a game-changing tournament for Pakistan cricket.

“In terms of quality, all the international players are available in the tournament. When I bat in domestic cricket, I do not get international-level bowlers. However, all those bowlers will be available in this tournament which is a good thing,” he said.

According to Mohammad Haris, the upcoming tournament provided a good opportunity for players to perform and make their way to the national squad.

In this regard, he said that he and his team mentors have decided to give more chances to youngsters and back them throughout the tournament.

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“Other teams would also want to do the same to allow youngsters to show their skills and to learn from the international stars,” he added.

The Stallions skipper revealed that he is eyeing a comeback to the Pakistan national squad with his performance in the Champions Cup.

“Being a wicketkeeper, batter and captain, my goal is to perform and make a comeback to the team. This tournament is very important to me and I will try to play in the position that is required in the Pakistan team,” he said.

On the importance of mentors, he said that team players were very happy with the decision as they will have a lot to learn from the senior players.

“All the players welcome having such mentors who are very helpful to them. They do not hesitate to talk to mentors due to their easy-going nature,” Mohammad Haris added.

The five-team tournament will commence on 12 September (today) with Markhors facing Shadab Khan-led Panthers in the opening match. Meanwhile the final is scheduled to be played on 29 September.

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Prize money for Champions One-Day Cup revealed

FAISALABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday, unveiled the prize money for the upcoming Champions One-Day Cup, scheduled to be held at Iqbal Stadium here.

According to a statement, released by the PCB, the winners of the Champions One-Day Cup will receive a prize money of PKR 30 million, while the runners-up will take home PKR 15 million.

The five-team tournament will commence on 12 September with Mohammad Rizwan-led Markhors (previously Wolves) facing Shadab Khan-led Panthers in the opening match. Meanwhile the final is scheduled to be played on 29 September.

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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.

Champions One-Day Cup Schedule

12 Sep – Markhors v Panthers

13 Sep – Stallions v Lions

14 Sep – Dolphins v Panthers

15 Sep – Markhors v Stallions

16 Sep – Lions v Panthers

17 Sep – Dolphins v Markhors

19 Sep – Stallions v Dolphins

20 Sep – Lions v Markhors

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

Champions One-Day Cup Player support personnel:

The following is the player support personnel of the five sides, which have been selected by the mentors:

Dolphins – Sarfaraz Ahmed (mentor), Ahmed Raza (manager), Iqbal Imam (head coach), Abdul Saad (fielding coach), Faisal Raza (masseur), Hafiz Ali Hamza (analyst), Imtiaz (physiotherapist), Mohammad Masroor (batting coach), Sajid Shah (fast bowling coach), Tahir Mahmood (spin bowling coach) and Taimoor Mahmood (strength and conditioning)

Lions – Waqar Younis (mentor), Rahat Abbas Asadi (manager), Abdur Rehman (head coach), Abdul Majeed (fielding coach), Aizaz Cheema (fast bowling coach), Faisal Rai (analyst), Imranullah (strength and conditioning coach), Malang Ali (masseur), Riffatullah Mohmand (batting coach), Saeed Anwar Jnr (spin bowling coach) and Ubaid Ullah (physiotherapist)

Markhors (formerly Wolves) – Misbah-ul-Haq (mentor), Qasim Ali Paracha (manager), Ijaz Ahmed Jnr (head coach), Khurram Shehzad (batting coach), Mohammad Salman (fielding coach), Muhammad Shahid (masseur), Nabeel Pace (analyst), Saeed Ajmal (spin bowling coach), Samiullah Niazi (fast bowling coach), Syed Mohammad Asad (physiotherapist) and Yasir Malik (strength & conditioning coach)

Panthers – Panthers – Saqlain Mashtaq (mentor), Sharjeel Khurram Bhatti (manager), Umar Rasheed (head coach), Imran Farhat (batting coach), Javed Sheikh (strength and conditioning coach), Mohtashim Rasheed (fielding coach), Mohammad Ibrahim (analyst), Muhammad Ehsan (masseur), Tahir (physiotherapist), Zafar Iqbal (fast bowling coach) and Zulfiqar Babar (spin bowling coach)

Stallions – Shoaib Malik (mentor), Mohammad Ali Shahzad (manager), Mansoor Amjad (head coach), Abdur Rehman (spin bowling coach), Bilal Munir (strength & conditioning coach), Faisal Naveed (batting coach), Hafiz Majid (fielding coach), Mohammad Ahsan Ehsan (analyst), Mohammad Mustaqeem (masseur), Tanvir (physiotherapist) and Umaid Asif (fast bowling coach)

READ: Wolves officially renamed to Markhors ahead of Champions One-Day Cup

Trophy for Champions One-Day Cup unveiled

FAISALABAD: The glittering trophy for the upcoming Champions One-Day Cup was unveiled at the Iqbal Stadium here on Wednesday.

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The winners of the Champions One-Day Cup will receive PKR 30 million, while the runners-up will take home PKR 15 million.

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.

Champions One-Day Cup Schedule

12 Sep – Markhors v Panthers

13 Sep – Stallions v Lions

14 Sep – Dolphins v Panthers

15 Sep – Markhors v Stallions

16 Sep – Lions v Panthers

17 Sep – Dolphins v Markhors

19 Sep – Stallions v Dolphins

20 Sep – Lions v Markhors

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

READ: Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan rise up in ICC Test Rankings

Wolves officially renamed to Markhors ahead of Champions One-Day Cup

FAISALABAD: Champions One-Day Cup side the Wolves has been rebranded as the Markhors ahead of the tournament opener, scheduled on 12 September.

The Markhors (formerly Wolves), which is being mentored by the former Pakistan Misbah-ul-Haq, will face Saqlain Mashtaq’s Panthers on 12 September at Iqbal Stadium in the first game of the five-team tournament.

The inaugural edition of the Champions One-Day Cup will be played at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad from 12 September to 29 September.

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The University of Management and Technology (UMT) has acquired the naming rights for the Markhors. On the other hand, Nurpur and Allied Bank have secured the rights for the Lions and the Stallions.

The details of the sponsors for the Dolphins and Panthers will be announced in due course.

Markhors Squad for Champions One-Day Cup

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).

Player support personnel: Misbah-ul-Haq (mentor), Qasim Ali Paracha (manager), Ijaz Ahmed Jnr (head coach), Khurram Shehzad (batting coach), Mohammad Salman (fielding coach), Muhammad Shahid (masseur), Nabeel Pace (analyst), Saeed Ajmal (spin bowling coach), Samiullah Niazi (fast bowling coach), Syed Mohammad Asad (physiotherapist) and Yasir Malik (strength & conditioning coach)

READ: Salman Butt named in commentary panel for Champions One-Day Cup

Salman Butt named in commentary panel for Champions One-Day Cup

FAISALABAD: Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt was named in the star-studded commentary panel for the upcoming Champions One-Day Cup.

The five-team tournament will be played at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad from 12 September to 29 September.

Besides Salman Butt, the commentary panel features Sikander Bakht, Marina Iqbal, Ali Younis, and Shah Faisal. Meanwhile, Meesha Imran will serve as the presenter.

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

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All matches will commence at 3 pm, except for the Lions vs Panthers match on 16 September, which will start at 9:30 am.

It’s worth noting that five teams will be mentored by stalwarts such as Misbah-ul-Haq (Wolves), Saqlain Mushtaq (Panthers), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Dolphins), Shoaib Malik (Stallions) and Waqar Younis (Lions).

Champions One-Day Cup Schedule

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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Rizwan banks on home crowd support ahead of Champions One-Day Cup

Team Wolves’ captain Mohammad Rizwan pinned high hopes on the home crowd to serve as the “12th man” in the upcoming Champions One-Day Cup, scheduled to run from September 12 to 29 at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.

Rizwan will be marshalling the Wolves side with Misbah-ul-Haq 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 Shadab Khan’s Panthers on Thursday, 12 September.

“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,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) quoted Rizwan saying.

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“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.”

WOLVES Squad for Champions One-Day Cup: 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

READ: National Men’s U19 tournaments to begin on Tuesday

Shaheen Afridi aims to lead Lions ‘from front’ in Champions One-Day Cup

FAISALABAD: Left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has expressed his aim to lead the Lions from the front with his performances both with the bat and the ball during the upcoming Champions One-Day Cup.

The five-team tournament will be played at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad from 12-29 September. This 50-over tournament will be played in a single-league format.

Shaheen Afridi, the two-time Pakistan Super League (PSL) winning captain, 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,” said Shaheen.

“I look forward to giving my best to the team — with the ball, the bat, and through my leadership throughout the tournament.”

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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 (to be reduced to 15 players 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

READ: Afghanistan captain demands ‘one good home venue’ in India to improve in Test cricket

PCB announces match officials for Champions One-Day Cup

FAISALABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the match officials for the upcoming Champions One-Day Cup, including former ICC elite panellist Aleem Dar and Asif Yaqoob of the ICC’s international panel.

Former Test cricketer Ali Naqvi will lead the Playing Control Team, which will also include Waleed Yaqub and Zulfiqar Jan as third and fourth umpires.

The Champions One-Day Cup will feature the country’s 150 best of the best cricketers with stalwarts such as Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik and Waqar Younis involved as mentors.

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.

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Aleem Dar, Asif Yaqoob, Waleed Yaqub and Zulfiqar Jan are amongst a panel of nine umpires who will be officiating in the Champions Cup.

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.

Match officials for Champions Cup

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 of the Champions Cup will be announced closer to the matches.

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PCB Chairman announces free entry for fans in Champions One-Day Cup matches

The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday announced free entry for fans in the upcoming Champions One-Day Cup matches in Faisalabad.

After a meeting held to discuss the arrangements for hosting the Champions Cup, Naqvi told the media that fans could watch all the matches except the playoffs for free at the Iqbal Stadium.

The meeting was attended by Chief Operating Officer PCB Salman Naseer, Chief Financial Officer Javed Murtaza, Advisor Bilal Afzal, Director Domestic Abdullah Khurram Niazi, Director Commercial, Director High Performance, Senior General Manager Domestic Junaid Zia, and other relevant officials.

“The residents of Faisalabad love the game of cricket. After a long time, Pakistan’s top players will be in action in a major tournament in Faisalabad,” said Naqvi.

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“Not only will talent emerge from the Champions Cup, but domestic cricket will also strengthen. For the success of the Champions Cup, the entire team must work responsibly.”

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.

Champions One-Day Cup Schedule

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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