KARACHI, Sept 7: Faisalabad Wolves, who will be the second outfit to represent Pakistan in the fifth edition of the Champions League T20, will be hoping for better luck when they compete in the qualifying round of the tournament which is slated to begin in India later this month.

Sialkot Stallions, the first side from Pakistan to qualify for the Champions League T20 after winning the Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 at Rawalpindi in March/April 2012, were eliminated at the qualifying stage when the competition was held in South Africa last year. The Shoaib Malik-led Stallions managed to defeat English champions Hampshire but finished second behind Auckland in their pool in Johannesburg.

The Wolves, who are led by Pakistan Test and One-day skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, however face a tricky path in the qualification process since all of their three opponents have star-studded status.

The makes the current Super Eight T20 Cup champions’ task all the more formidable because apart from Misbah, the Wolves have only Saeed Ajmal, Asad Ali, Ehsan Adil, Mohammad Salman and Samiullah Khan Niazi as the players with international exposure for their matches in the initial round against the likes of Otago, Kandurata Maroons and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

But the Wolves do have Ali Waqas and Asif Ali, two young batsmen who made a lot of impression during the last domestic season and are being closely monitored by the national selectors for next year’s ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh.

While the tournament proper does not begin until Sept 21 when Mumbai Indians, the IPL champions, clash with Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, the Wolves kick start the qualifiers when they meet New Zealand T20 winners Otago in Mohali on Sept 17. The Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali, on the outskirts of Chandigarh, in fact, would be hosting all six qualifying fixtures.

Otago, skippered by wicket-keeper/batsman Derek de Boorder, have nine players who have international cricket. Apart from having the services of current New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, the Dunedin-based team have Nathan McCullum, Neil Broom, Ian Butler, Jimmy Neesham, Aaron Redmond, Hamish Rutherford and Neil Wagner as well as the experienced Netherlands al-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate.

Sunrisers Hyderabad, who earned the right to compete in the Champions League on the basis of finishing fourth in the Indian Premier League, are Wolves’ next opponents in a day/night clash on Sept 18. Australia’s Cameron White leads their challenge in a side that boasts of India’s latest batting sensation Shikhar Dhawan and his compatriots Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma and Parthiv Patel plus South African fast bowling spearhead Dale Steyn, Jean-Paul Duminy, Thisara Perera and Darren Sammy.

Kandurata Maroons, the Sri Lankan T20 domestic champions who the Wolves play on Sept 20, have no less than 11 cricketers who have all played for Sri Lanka with a majority of the group being current members of their national squad.

Lahiru Thirimanne is the Maroons captain despite the presence of former Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara in their ranks. The outfit also includes other internationals such as Nuwan Kulasekara, Upul Tharanga, Suraj Randiv, Ajantha Mendis, Chamara Silva, Thilina Kandamby, Dhammika Prasad, Kaushal Lokuarachchi and Dilhara Lokuhettige.

If the Wolves are fortunate enough to be among the top two finishers in the qualifying round, they would be probably playing a host of domestic T20 champions from other countries in the main round.

Apart from IPL teams — Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals — the showpiece tournament also features Brisbane Heat and Perth Scorchers from Australia, Highveld Lions and Titans from South Africa and West Indies’ domestic T20 winners Trinidad & Tobago.

The main round will be played from Sept 21 to Oct 2 with the games to be staged in Jaipur, Mohali, Ranchi and Ahmedabad. Jaipur and Delhi will host the semi-finals on Oct 4 and 5, respectively with the final to be played at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in the Indian capital on Oct 6.

The Wolves, on this occasion, should take inspiration from history. They have previously won a global title in the shortest format when they defeated Sri Lankan side Chilaw Marians in the final of the only edition of the International 20:20 Club Championship, hosted by English county Leicestershire in Sept 2005.

That champion side was led by ex-Test batsman Naved Latif and included Mohammad Hafeez (who until last year participated for them before switching to Lahore Lions), Mohammad Salman, Samiullah Khan Niazi and Saeed Ajmal who at the time was a relatively unknown figure.

Qualifying round scheduleSept 17: Faisalabad Wolves v Otago (Mohali).Sept 17: Kandurata Maroons v Sunrisers Hyderabad (Mohali, D/N).Sept 18: Kandurata Maroons v Otago (Mohali).Sept 18: Faisalabad Wolves v Sunrisers Hyderabad Mohali, D/N).Sept 20: Faisalabad Wolves v Kandurata Maroons (Mohali).Sept 20: Otago v Sunrisers Hyderabad (Mohali, D/N).