FAISALABAD: The University of Manag­ement and Technology (UMT) Markhors face Panthers in the opening match of the inaugural Champions One-Day Cup starting here at the Iqbal Stadium on Thursday.

Pakistan wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan will captain the UMT Markhors, who were previously called Wolves with former Test skipper Misbah-ul-Haq serving as their mentor, while the Panthers will be led by national team all-rounder Shadab Khan, with ex-Test off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq acting as their mentor.

The season-opening event boasts a total prize pool of Rs49 million, with the tournament winners set to take home Rs30 million while the runners-up will pocket Rs15 million, said a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) press release issued on Wednesday.

On Friday, Mohammad Haris Allied Bank Stallions will clash with Shaheen Shah Afridi-led Nurpur Lions, followed by Saturday’s fixture between Saud Shakeel-captained Dolphins and Shadab Khan’s Panthers.

The tournament has been planned with an eye on next year’s ICC Champions Trophy, with standout performers looking to strengthen their chances of breaking into the Pakistan side that will compete in ODIs in Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, and a home ODI tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa in the lead-up to the Champions Trophy.

White-ball head coach Gary Kirsten will be in Faisalabad to observe the 50-over tournament, which will be played on a single-round basis. Later in the competition, red-ball coach Jason Gillespie will also join Kirsten at the event.

In this high-stakes tournament where every match counts, the top-four sides will progress to the playoffs, culminating in the final scheduled for Sept 29.

Rizwan said the event was a crucial competition for Pakistan cricket.

“A high-quality domestic event like the Champions One-Day Cup is the lifeblood of any leading cricket-playing nation, as it provides equal and fair opportunities for both established and emerging cricketers to strengthen their claims for national selection,” he said.

“With that in mind, I am eagerly looking forward to this tournament and am confident it will meet all its strategic objectives.”

Meanwhile, Shadab said, “We’ve trained hard in Faisal­abad and now it’s time to translate that effort into positive results. We need to bring intensity and passion every time we step onto the field, as this tournament will not be easy to win. Only the team that will show consistency will come out on top, and I firmly believe we have what it takes to be that team.”

Squads:

DOLPHINS: Saud Shakeel (captain), Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Huraira, Muhammad Akhlaq, Muhammad Riazullah, Noman Ali, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Sameen Gul, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Sufiyan Moqim, Umar Amin, Usman Qadir; Sarfaraz Ahmed (mentor).

LIONS: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Aamer Yamin, Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Asghar, Mohammad Taha, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Rohail Nazir, Sajjad Ali Hashmi, Sharoon Siraj, Sirajuddin; Waqar Younis (mentor).

MARKHORS: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Abdul Samad, Akif Javed, Ali Usman, Bismillah Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haseebullah, Iftikhar Ahmed, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Faizan, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Sarwar Afridi, Muhammad Imran, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani and Zahid Mehmood; Misbah ul Haq (mentor).

PANTHERS: Shadab Khan (captain), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Ahmed Bashir, Amad Butt, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Haider Ali, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Umar, Mohammad Zeeshan, Mubasir Khan, Rizwan Mehmood, Saim Ayub, Umar Siddiq, Usama Mir, Usman Khan; Saqlain Mushtaq (mentor)

STALLIONS: Mohammad Haris (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Adil Amin, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Jahandad Khan, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Amir Khan, Saad Khan, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir, Ubaid Shah, Yasir Khan, Zaman Khan; Shoaib Malik (mentor).

Fixtures (Sept 12-15; all matches to begin at 3:00pm):

Sept 12: UMT Markhors vs Panthers

Sept 13: Allied Bank Stallions vs Nurpur Lions.

Sept 14: Dolphins vs Panthers

Sept 15: UMT Markhors vs Allied Bank Stallions.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2024