Champions One-Day Cup: Afridi, Rizwan, Shadab, Shakeel and Haris named captains

Pakistan’s newer, flashier version of the domestic 50-over competition- the Champions One Day Cup will feature five sides each of which will be led by Pakistan internationals. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Haris have been announced as skippers of the sides they represent, taking charge of the Lions, Wolves, Panthers, Dolphins and Stallions respectively.

Haris’s captaincy of the Stallions- selected by the side’s mentor Shoaib Malik- appears to mark an emphatic, and sudden return to favour with the PCB. His last ODI appearance came a year ago. He was left out of Pakistan’s World Series squad and also lost his place in the T20 side, the format most favourable to his skillset, during Wahab Riaz’s stint as the chief selector. Now, however, he captains a unit that also incorporates Babar Azam, Pakistan’s white-ball skipper, as well as Haris’ captain at Peshawar (PES), where the two play at the Pakistan-T20 League. 

Unlike previous iterations of the competition, the Pak-T20 League has withdrawn all the stops to ensure maximum participation of Pakistan’s highest-profile players. Pakistan has no international fixtures that coincide with the competition, with nearly every fit centrally contracted player participating. 

During the unveiling of mentors in a press conference, Misbah-ul-Haq, mentor of the Wolves, said any unfit players would not be considered for the tournament. The Pakistan Cricket Board has provided a list of players who missed the cut on that account, including former Pakistan opening batter Sharjeel Khan. 

Every team has named extended squad lists, which will be curtailed by September 10. The teams do not have affiliated city names, though each name has historical links to previous domestic cup teams: Lahore for Lions, Karachi for Dolphins, Peshawar for Panthers, Faisalabad for Wolves and, Sialkot for Stallions. 

Sarfaraz will be the only player essaying the role of player-mentor for the Dolphins. Malik (Stallions), Waqar Younis (Lions), Misbah (Wolves) and Saqlain Mushtaq (Panthers) are the only mentors.