FAISALABAD – Mohammad Rizwan will be marshalling the Wolves in the Champions One-Day Cup with Misbah-ul-Haq being the mentor.
The home team will be looking to make a successful start when they will feature in the tournament opener against the Shadab Khan’s Panthers on Thursday, 12 September, at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.
“It is heartening to see a highly-competitive domestic tournament like the Champions One-Day Cup coming to life in Faisalabad. I’m excited to be leading the Wolves, which is like a home team as our academy is based in this vibrant city,” Rizwan said while expressing the hope that the local crowd would get behind his team.
“I’m eagerly looking forward to the local crowd supporting Wolves during the tournament and I feel they are going to act as the 12th player for us. With the help of the Almighty, we will try our best to perform well in this tournament.”
Talking about the blend of youth and experience, Rizwan said: “Usually we don’t see such a dynamic blend of the international and young players in domestic competitions and teams but the Champions One-Day Cup stands out in this regard as all the teams have a number of international, domestic and young players on their rosters.”
Shadab Khan will lead the Panthers under the mentorship of former Pakistan coach and spinner, Saqlain Mushtaq. “I’m really excited on my return to Faisalabad for the Champions One-Day Cup because this is where my List-A career started back in the 2015-16 domestic season. It will be a proud feeling for me to return as a more experienced player than when I started out as a teenager.”
Talking about the importance and the timing of the Champions One-Day Cup, Shadab supported the idea of playing 50-over cricket at the start of a season in which Pakistan will take part in more than 15 ODIs within four months, including the all-important ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
“I appreciate the PCB for arranging the Champions One-Day Cup right at the start of the domestic season because the white-ball challenge for the Pakistan team is quite demanding in the next six months. This tournament will help most of the players to find their momentum right at the start of the season.”
