Saud Shakeel discusses Dolphins' strategy for upcoming Champions One-Day Cup

Saud Shakeel expressed confidence in his team's combination and emphasized the impact of Sarfaraz Ahmed’s mentorship

PHOTO: PCB

Pakistan Test vice-captain Saud Shakeel is set to lead the Dolphins in the inaugural Champions One-Day Cup, which kicks off at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on Thursday, 12 September.

The tournament will see its finale on 29 September, featuring five teams in a round-robin format, with all matches (except for 16 September) starting at 3pm local time.

The Dolphins, under the mentorship of former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, will face off against Shadab Khan’s Panthers, who will be guided by former off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, in their opening match on Saturday, 14 September.

Shakeel, who has represented Pakistan in 15 ODIs, expressed confidence in his team's combination and emphasized the impact of Sarfaraz Ahmed’s mentorship.

“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.”

The middle-order batter highlighted the significance of the tournament, noting, “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 provisional 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):