FAISALABAD – Pakistan Test vice-captain is geared up to lead the Dolphins in the Champions One-Day Cup, which gets underway at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on Thursday, 12 September.
The final of the five-team season-opening tournament will be played on 29 September.
All matches, except the 16 September match, will begin at 3pm local time.
The Dolphins will be mentored by the former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and will take on Shadab Khan’s Panthers on Saturday, 14 September, which will be mentored by former off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq.
The 29-year-old Saud, who has represented Pakistan in 15 ODIs, talked about his team’s combination and how the experience of Sarfaraz Ahmed as mentor can help the side to do well in the tournament.
“We have a well-balanced side going into the Champions One-Day Cup,” Saud told PCB Digital, adding: “The focus is on maintaining a strong combination of experienced players and young talent. This tournament provides an opportunity to the players to prove their mettle and impress the selectors to get selected in the national team.
“Having Sarfaraz Ahmed in the team as a player and mentor is a massive boost for us. His insights and leadership on and off the field will help young players to develop their game.”
Talking about the importance of the inaugural edition of the tournament, Saud said: “This inaugural edition of the Champions One-Day Cup is going to be crucial for domestic cricket in Pakistan.
“It gives players a big stage to showcase their skills, especially in the 50-over format, which is vital with the upcoming international fixtures. The competition will be intense and it will provide fans to come in good amount to cherish their favourite players performances.”
Dolphins squad (to be trimmed to 15): Saud Shakeel (captain, Karachi), Aftab Ibrahim (Karachi), Asif Ali (Faisalabad), Awais Ali (Gujranwala), Faheem Ashraf (Kasur), Kashif Ali (Rawalpindi), Mir Hamza (Karachi), Mohammad Huraira (Sialkot), Mohammad Abbas Afridi (Peshawar), Muhammad Akhlaq (Kamoki), Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (Karachi), 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
Schedule of Dolphins’ matches (matches will start at 3pm):
14 Sep – Dolphins v Panthers
17 Sep – Dolphins v Wolves
19 Sep – Stallions v Dolphins
22 Sep – Dolphins v Lions
