Rizwan counts on home crowd to be Wolves' secret weapon in Champions One-Day Cup

With Misbah-ul-Haq as the team’s mentor, the Wolves aim for a strong start in the domestic tournament

PHOTO: AFP

Mohammad Rizwan will captain the Wolves in the inaugural match of the Champions One-Day Cup, as they face Shadab Khan’s Panthers on Thursday, 12 September, at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium.

With Misbah-ul-Haq as the team’s mentor, the Wolves aim for a strong start in the domestic tournament.

The wicketkeeper batter expressed his excitement about leading a team so close to his heart, saying, “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.”

He emphasized the importance of home support, expecting the local crowd to act as the "12th player" for 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,” he said.

Highlighting the diverse mix of youth and experience in the squad, Rizwan noted, “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.”

Wolves provisional squad (to be trimmed to 15 on 10 September):

Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Abdul Samad, Akif Javed, Ali Usman, Bilawal Bhatti, Haseebullah, Iftikhar Ahmed, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Faizan, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Mohammad Sarwar Afridi, Muhammad Imran, Naseem Shah, Nisar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani, Zahid Mehmood, and Zain Abbas.

Mentor – Misbah ul Haq

Wolves Match Schedule: