PCB Unveils Champions Cup Team Mentors

News Desk

Islamabad: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, and Waqar Younis as mentors for the five Champions Cup teams on three-year contracts.

This decision follows a transparent and rigorous recruitment process. The specific teams and their squads will be announced in due course.

The mentors will debut in the PCB Domestic Cricket Season 2024-25 with the Champions One-Day Cup, scheduled from September 12 to 29 at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.

This tournament will feature the top cricketers from across the country and marks the return of senior men’s competitive cricket to Faisalabad after nearly two years. The last 50-over domestic match at the Iqbal Stadium was played in March 2022 between Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Collectively, the five mentors have played 1,621 international matches, accumulating 32,780 runs and 1,503 wickets. Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik are two-time ICC event winners, Misbah-ul-Haq is a one-time ICC event winner and the 2012 ACC Asia Cup captain, while Saqlain Mushtaq and Waqar Younis were part of the team that reached the 1999 World Cup final.

PCB Chair Mohsin Naqvi stated, “We are delighted to have these five cricketing legends as mentors for the Champions Cup teams. Their extensive experience and expertise will be invaluable in nurturing the next generation of cricketers and bridging the gap between domestic and international cricket.

This initiative aligns with PCB’s commitment to developing a robust domestic structure and providing a clear pathway for emerging talent.”

About the Mentors:

Misbah-ul-Haq: Pakistan’s most successful Test captain with 26 victories in 56 Tests, including reaching No.1 in the ICC Test Team Rankings in August 2016. He also equaled the record for the fastest Test century in 2014 and was a member of the ICC T20 World Cup-winning team in 2009.

Saqlain Mushtaq: Known for being the fastest to 250 ODI wickets and for inventing the “Doosra.” He took two hat-tricks in ODIs, including one in a World Cup, and has played in three World Cups and two Champions Trophy events.

Sarfaraz Ahmed: Captained Pakistan to victory in the ICC U19 World Cup 2006 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. He also led Pakistan to No.1 in the ICC T20I Team Rankings and holds the record for the most dismissals in an ODI (six catches).

Shoaib Malik: Competed in two 50-over World Cups, six T20 World Cups, and six Champions Trophy tournaments. He has one of the longest international careers, spanning over 19 years, and is known for his extensive experience in franchise cricket.

Waqar Younis: Known for the fastest to 400 ODI wickets and for leading captains with the best ODI bowling figures. He has coached Pakistan in several World Cups and served as the team’s bowling coach from 2019 to 2021.