Dolphins Archives

Champions T20 Cup: Wasim Jnr, Wahid Bangalzai lead Panthers to victory over Dolphins

RAWALPINDI: Panthers overwhelmed a hapless Dolphins by six wickets at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in the Champions T20 Cup clash on Monday, with Mohammad Wasim Jr. and Abdul Wahid Bangalzai starring in the win.

Wasim Jr. impeded Dolphins’s sailing with figures of 3-28 in his four incisive overs and was ably supported by spinner Arafat Minhas (2-11) and all-rounder Amad Butt (2-12) to keep their opponents down to 106-9 in 20 overs.

The win helped the Panthers get to six points in the Champions T20 Cup points table with three wins and as many defeats while the Dolphins sunk to a fifth defeat in as many matches.

Losing opener Sahibzada Farhan off the third ball of the innings to fast-rising pacer Ali Raza jolted the Dolphins from which they could never recover. Mirza Tahir Baig hit a rapid 13-ball 19 with a six and two boundaries but Wasim dislodged him in the sixth over.

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Mohammad Huraira fell for a three-ball duck and Umar Amin managed just four. It was left to skipper Faheem Ashraf (25), Muhammad Akhlaq (19) and Qasim Akram (14) to get the team past the 100-run mark. Faheem’s 34-ball fight had one boundary and a six.

Dolphins’s pacer Sameen Gul dismissed Umar Siddiq for five and Shadab Khan without scoring to leave the chase in tatters at 2-9. It became 3-14 when Ihsanullah accounted for Mubasir Khan, who returned for a four-ball duck.

But Abdul Waheed Bangalzai and Danish Aziz set the chase back on track with a solid 82-run stand for the fourth wicket. Bangalzai’s 38-ball 51 had two sixes and six boundaries. Danish hit a 34-ball 38 not out with three boundaries and a six as the chase was completed in 15 overs.

READ: Fakhar Zaman needs to let his bat speak: Shoaib Akhtar

Champions T20 Cup: Khawaja Nafay stars as Markhors edge past Dolphins

RAWALPINDI: Opening batter Khawaja Mohammad Nafay smashed a fiery half-century to anchor Markhors’ two-wicket win over a fighting Dolphins on the fourth day of the ongoing Champions T20 Cup here on Tuesday.

Nafay’s 41-ball 68 was spiced with four sixes and as many fours that guided Markhors to chase the modest 129-run target in 18.5 overs.

The Misbah-ul-Haq mentored team is now second with four points while Stallions are top of the Champions T20 Cup points table, also with four points from two matches but have a superior net run rate.

22-year-old Nafay from Karachi lifted his team from the early loss of Fakhar Zaman (0), Muhammad Shahzad (11) and Abdul Samad (1). Nafay added 29 for the fourth wicket with skipper Iftikhar Ahmed who made five.

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Spinner Qasim Akram dismissed Khawaja Nafay leg-before and then two more wickets fell as Dolphins fought back but Mohammad Nawaz made sure the chase was completed with a cautious 19-ball 18 not out including two fours while Akif Javed hit the winning boundary.

Dolphins, who have now lost both their matches, were given an ideal start by fast bowler Sameen Gul who took three early wickets but other than him no bowler could detrack the rampaging Markhors.

Earlier, sent into bat, Dolphins lost Sahibzada Farhan in the first over, without scoring. Muhammad Akhlaq hit a 33-ball 40 studded with two sixes and three boundaries while Mirza Tahir Baig knocked a 28-ball 29 with two sixes and a boundary

Dolphins were relying on vice-captain Qasim Akram who scored 14 and experienced batter Umar Amin who managed just 11 as they slumped from 81-2 to 128-9. Nawaz grabbed 3-28 while fast-rising pacer Akif Javed finished with 2-33.

READ: Sarfaraz Ahmed clears the air on retirement statement

Saud Shakeel slams umpiring after Dolphins’ early exit from Champions Cup

FAISALABAD: Dolphins’ captain Saud Shakeel asserted some umpiring decisions and the toss factor played a major role in their premature exit from the ongoing Champions One-Day Cup.

Saud’s Dolphins was the only team left out of the playoffs as they finished last after the group-stage matches of the five-team tournament, managing just 12 points in four games.

The middle-order batter while speaking to a local news channel reflected on his team’s performance in the Champions Cup, suggesting that they struggled in all three departments.

“We didn’t play the way we wanted to in any of the three aspects—batting, bowling, or fielding. But winning and losing is part of the game, and it’s important to learn from our mistakes,” Saud said.

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Saud Shakeel further claimed that toss played a significant role in their ouster from the tournament before mentioning that some of the umpiring decisions also dented their campaign.

“The toss was crucial. In all three matches, we ended up bowling first, which didn’t work in our favour. Additionally, some umpiring decisions went against us, which impacted our performance,” he explained.

The left-handed batter then went on to reveal that the Dolphins had a strict focus on physical fitness ahead of the Champions Cup and also that all of their players had passed the fitness test but suggested that the players need to work on their physical conditioning.

“Perhaps the heat affected our energy levels. As professional players, we need to improve wherever we see room for it,” he added.

“The true test of a cricketer lies in long-format cricket, but anyone with solid first-class experience can excel in any format,” Saud concluded.

READ: Saim, Hasnain wreak havoc as Panthers book Markhors on 137

Sarfaraz Ahmed excited to be part of Dolphins in Champions Cup

LAHORE: Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed was confirmed as the mentor of the Dolphins side for this month’s Champions One-Day Cup, which will be played in Faisalabad from 12-29 September.

Dolphins will be based at the Hanif Mohammad High-Performance Centre in Karachi and will launch their campaign against Saqlain Mushtaq’s Panthers on 14 September.

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.

Sarfaraz Ahmed has captained Pakistan to victories in the ICC U19 World Cup 2006 and ICC Champions Trophy 2017.

He was also a member of the Pakistan side that won the ACC Asia Cup 2012. As a captain, he also led Pakistan to No.1 in ICC T20I Team Rankings.

Sarfaraz also became the first Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter to score an ODI World Cup century when he scored 101 not out against Ireland in Adelaide in 2015.

He also holds the record for most dismissals in an ODI match (all 6 catches) and is only the second wicket-keeper to have captained his side in 50 or more ODIs. He is also the 17th on the ODI list of wicket-keepers with 2,000 runs and 100 dismissals.

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“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,” said the former captain.

“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.”

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