Lions Archives

Champions T20 Cup: Shahid Aziz, Imam-ul-Haq guide Lions to victory over Panthers

RAWALPINDI: Fast bowler Shahid Aziz took four wickets while skipper Imam-ul-Haq and Hasan Nawaz played solid knocks to lead Lions to an eight-wicket win over Panthers in the Champions T20 Cup here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

Chasing a modest 124-run target, the Lions crossed the line in 14.3 overs for the loss of two wickets after they were set up by Shahid’s potent 4-20 which restricted the Panthers to 123 all out in 19.2 overs.

Imam-ul-Haq and Hasan Nawaz set up the win with a confident 79-run opening stand in 9.1 overs. Hasan hit three sixes and four boundaries in his fiery 31-ball 44 while Imam’s 38-ball 45 had five hits to the rope.

Pakistan U19 batter Shahzaib Khan chipped in with a 17-ball 28 not out, cracking two sixes and a four.

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With the win, the Lions opened their account in the Champions T20 Cup after losing their first two games. Panthers have now lost two and won one in their three outings.

Sent into bat, Panthers lost opener Sharjeel Khan for five before Umar Siddiq, who scored a 28-ball 26 with two sixes and as many fours, added 45 for the second wicket with Haider Ali (26).

Shahid Aziz, Khushdil Shah (2-26) and Musa Khan (2-32) triggered a middle-order collapse which saw Panthers slumping from 62-1 to 99-6.

It was Danish Aziz who rescued Panthers to a respectable total with a solid 27-ball 34 which were studded with four boundaries and a six.

READ: Shaheen Afridi becomes first Pakistan player to achieve THIS feat

Champions T20 Cup: All-round Shoaib Malik powers Stallions to victory over Lions

RAWALPINDI: Veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik performed both with the bat and ball to steer Stallions to a narrow victory over Lions in the ongoing Champions T20 Cup at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium here on Monday.

Lions’ skipper Imam-ul-Haq invited Stallions to bat first and his bowlers reduced the batting side to 21-2 early on.

Maaz Sadaqat played a composed 32-run knock, while captain Mohammad Haris struck 25 to stabilize the Stallions’ innings.

Following the quick dismissals of Sadaqat and Haris, Hussain Talat joined hands with Shoaib Malik to construct an 88-run stand for the fifth wicket.

Malik scored 39 off 30, while Talat smashed an unbeaten 51 off 36 to take Stallions to a respectable total of 162-5 in 20 overs.

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In response, the Lions had a shaky start to the run-chase as they lost Zeeshan Malik in the first over. Imam added 71 runs for the second wicket with Hasan Nawaz before the Lions witnessed a dramatic collapse, losing four wickets in quick succession.

Imam top-scored with 43 off 28, while Nawaz played a 30-run knock from 25 balls.

Khushdil Shah played a scratchy knock of 28 runs from 29 balls, while Aamer Yamin struck an unbeaten 27 off 24 but could not take their team across the line as they managed to score 150-7 in their 20 overs.

For Stallions, Zaman Khan, Shoaib Malik and Usman Tariq took two wickets each, while Mohammad Ali bagged one.

It’s worth noting that the Stallions are currently sitting at the top of the Champions T20 Cup points table with victories in both of their matches.

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PCB charges Lions for slow over-rate in Champions Cup

Shaheen Afridi-led Lions have been fined for slow over-rate in their Sunday fixture against the Dolphins during the ongoing Champions One-Day Cup.

The Lions lost the game by 16 runs but still qualified for the playoff stage on Sunday night, at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad.

“The Lions have been fined for slow over-rate in their 22 September game of Champions One-Day Cup against the Engro Dolphins,” the PCB’s press release stated.

“The charges were levelled by the on-field umpires Faisal Aafreedi and Imtiaz Iqbal as the Lions were found to be one over short of the stipulated time.

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“All the eleven playing members of the Shaheen Shah Afridi-led team have been fined five per cent of their match fees as per article 2.22 of the PCB Code of Conduct for Players and Players Support Personnel, which deals with over-rate offences.”

Notably, Lions’ all-rounder Khushdil Shah scored a blistering half-century, however, Abbas Afridi held on to his nerves to steer the Dolphins to a thrilling last-over victory.

In this crucial game, chasing 327 runs, the Lions needed to score 260 or more in order to qualify for the playoff stage, which they did in the 47th over but fell 16 runs short as they finished 310-8 in 50 overs.

The Lions will face the Stallions in Wednesday’s eliminator, meanwhile, Tuesday’s Qualifier will be played between the Markhors and the Panthers.

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Champions Cup: Stallions win toss, elect to bat first against Lions

FAISALABAD: Mohammad Haris-led Stallions have won the toss and elected to bat first against Shaheen Afridi’s Lions in the second match of the Champions One-Day Cup at Iqbal Stadium here on Friday.

Playing XIs

Stallions: Mohammad Haris (c), Shan Masood, Babar Azam, Yasir Khan, Tayyab Tahir, Hussain Talat, Jahandad Khan, Mehran Mumtaz, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Ali

Lions: Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sharoon Siraj, Irfan Khan Niazi, Khushdil Shah, Sajjad Ali, Aamir Jamal, Amir Yamin, Faisal Akram

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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

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