FAISALABAD – All roads in Faisalabad will lead to Iqbal Stadium on Thursday afternoon, where the star-studded UMT (University of Management and Technology) Markhors (previously Wolves) will face off against the Panthers in the opening match of the Champions One-Day Cup. The match will commence at 3pm, with live coverage on national sports channels, live-streaming in Pakistan will be available on Tamasha, Tapmad and myco and broadcast in North America on Willow TV.
Mohammad Rizwan will captain the UMT Markhors, with Misbah-ul-Haq serving as their mentor, while the Panthers will be led by Shadab Khan, with Saqlain Mushtaq as their mentor. The season-opening event boasts a total prize pool of Rs49 million, with the tournament winner on 29 September set to take home Rs30 million and the runner-up receiving Rs15 million.
On Friday, Mohammad Haris’ Allied Bank Stallions will clash with Shaheen Shah Afridi’s Nurpur Lions, followed by Saturday’s fixture between Saud Shakeel’s Dolphins and Shadab Khan’s Panthers.
All five teams have been in Faisalabad for the past five days, participating in extensive training sessions to prepare for this newly-launched tournament, which features the best of the country’s top cricketers. The tournament has been planned with an eye on next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025, with standout performers looking to strengthen their chances of breaking into the national side that will compete in ODIs in Australia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and a home tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa in the lead-up to the biggest ICC Event of 2025.
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 in Faisalabad.
In this high-stakes tournament where every match counts, the top-four sides will progress to the playoffs, culminating in the final on 29 September.
“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. With that in mind, I am eagerly looking forward to this tournament and am confident it will meet all its strategic objectives”, said Mohammad Rizwan.
“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”, said Shadab Khan.
