Champions One-Day Cup 2024: PCB Releases Provisional Squads and Captains List

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has lately unveiled the captains and provisional squads for the Champions One-Day Cup 2024. Scheduled to be held in Faisalabad from 12th to 29th September, this 50-over tournament will see some of Pakistan’s finest cricketers in action. With intense opposition expected, enthusiasts are eagerly looking forward to the start of this event.The captains for the five participating groups were decided on by way of renowned cricketing mentors: Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Malik, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Waqar Younis. These mentors have handpicked their leaders to make sure their teams are organized with the first-rate techniques and management.

Captains Leading the Charge

Here is a look at the captains of the five teams:

Dolphins – Saud Shakeel 

Saud Shakeel (Captain, Karachi), Asif Ali (Faisalabad), Aftab Ibrahim (Karachi), Awais Ali (Gujranwala), Kashif Ali (Rawalpindi), Mir Hamza (Karachi), Faheem Ashraf (Kasur), Mohammad Huraira (Sialkot), Muhammad Akhlaq (Kamoki), Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (Karachi), Mohammad Abbas Afridi (Peshawar), Muhammad Riazullah (Peshawar), Noman Ali (Hyderabad), Qasim Akram (Lahore), Sameen Gul (Jamrud), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Karachi), Sahibzada Farhan (Peshawar), Sufiyan Moqim (Kotli), Umar Amin (Rawalpindi) and Usman Qadir (Lahore)

Mentor – Sarfaraz Ahmed

Lions – Shaheen Shah Afridi 

Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain, Peshawar), Aamir Jamal (Islamabad), Abdullah Shafique (Sialkot), Aamer Yamin (Multan), Hassan Nawaz (Islamabad), Faisal Akram (Multan), Hunain Shah (Lahore), Imam-ul-Haq (Lahore), Khushdil Shah (Bannu), Imran Butt (Lahore), Mohammad Asghar (Karachi), Mohammad Taha (Karachi), Omair Bin Yousuf (Karachi), Muhammad Irfan Khan (Mianwali), Rohail Nazir (Islamabad), Sharoon Siraj (Sahiwal), Shahab Khan (Mardan), Sirajuddin (Bajaur) and Waqar Hussain (Okara)

Mentor – Waqar Younis

Panthers – Shadab Khan 

Shadab Khan (captain, Islamabad), Ahmed Bashir (Lahore), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Quetta), Ali Asfand (Faisalabad), Amad Butt (Sialkot), Arafat Minhas (Multan), Ali Raza (Sheikhupura), Azan Awais (Sialkot), Mohammad Umar (Karachi), Haider Ali (Attock), Mohammad Hasnain (Hyderabad), Mubasir Khan (Rawalpindi), Rehan Afridi (Khyber), Mohammad Zeeshan (Faisalabad), Rizwan Mehmood (Hyderabad), Umar Siddiq (Lahore), Usama Mir (Sialkot), Saim Ayub (Karachi), Usman Khan (Karachi) and Usman Salahuddin (Lahore)

Mentor – Saqlain Mushtaq

Stallions – Mohammad Haris 

Mohammad Haris (captain, Peshawar), Adil Amin (Peshawar), Azam Khan (Peshawar), Abrar Ahmed (Karachi), Babar Azam (Lahore), Hussain Talat (Lahore), Jahandad Khan (Rawalpindi), Haris Rauf (Islamabad), Junaid Ali (Lahore), Mehran Mumtaz (Rawalpindi), Mohammad Ali (Sialkot), Maaz Ahmad Sadaqat (Peshawar), Mohammad Amir Khan (Swat), Saad Khan (Hyderabad), Shamyl Hussain (Islamabad), Shan Masood (Karachi), Tayyab Tahir (Sarai Alamgir), Ubaid Shah (Lahore), Yasir Khan (Rawalpindi) and Zaman Khan (Mirpur)

Mentor – Shoaib Malik

Wolves – Mohammad Rizwan 

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 Sarwar Afridi (FATA), Muhammad Imran (Khanewal), Mohammad Imran Jnr (Peshawar), Naseem Shah (Lahore), Salman Ali Agha (Lahore), Shahnawaz Dahani (Larkana), Nisar Ahmed (Lahore), Zahid Mehmood (Dadu) and Zain Abbas (Multan)

Mentor – Misbah-ul-Haq

Tournament Format

The Champions One-Day Cup 2024 could be played in a single-league format, meaning that every team will face each other in a round-robin setup. This ensures that the match will be each competitive and interesting, with all teams getting a fair chance to showcase their strengths.

Each match is scheduled to begin at 3 PM, except for the much-anticipated clash between the Lions and Panthers on 16th September, which will start earlier at 9:30 AM. After the league phase, the tournament will culminate in three playoff matches, with the final scheduled for Sunday, 29th September.

The first match of the tournament featured a showdown between Misbah-ul-Haq’s Wolves and Saqlain Mushtaq’s Panthers on 12th September. Fans can assume exciting movement proper from the beginning, as both teams are filled with talent.

Read More Blogs:

Is the Champions Cup the solution for Pakistan’s cricket problems?

Key Centrally Contracted Players

Each team has a mix of seasoned professionals and emerging talent. Here are some key players to look out for in each team:

• Dolphins: Saud Shakeel, Faheem Ashraf, Sarfaraz Ahmed

• Lions: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq,  Aamir Jamal, Shaheen Shah Afridi

• Panthers: Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir

• Stallions: Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Babar Azam, Mohammad Haris, Tayyab Tahir, Shan Masood,  Zaman Khan

• Wolves: Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani

These names include some of the biggest stars in Pakistan cricket, many of whom have established themselves on the international stage. Their inclusion ensures that the quality of cricket will be top-notch.

Players Unavailable for Selection

Despite the strong squads, a few notable names will miss the tournament. Imad Wasim is currently playing in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), while Mohammad Abbas is busy with County cricket in the UK. Additionally, players like Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Amir, Haris Sohail, Azam Khan, and Mohammad Ilyas have also made themselves unavailable for the tournament.

Conclusion

The Champions One-Day Cup 2024 is shaping up to be an exciting tournament, proposing a combination of Pakistan’s pinnacle cricketers and growing stars. With captains like Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shadab Khan in their groups, cricket lovers can count on fierce competition and awesome performances.