PCB unveils five legends as Champions Cup team mentor

Photo Credit: Pakistan Cricket Board

Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik and Waqar Younis were today confirmed as mentors of the five Champions Cup sides on three-year contracts following a transparent and robust recruitment process. Names of their sides and squads will be confirmed in due course.

The first assignment of the mentors in the PCB Domestic Cricket Season 2024-25 will be the Champions One-Day Cup, which will be held at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad from 12 to 29 September. Best of the best cricketers from the country will feature in the single-league competition that will also serve as the homecoming of men’s seniors’ competitive cricket in Faisalabad after nearly two years. The last domestic men’s 50-over match played at the Iqbal Stadium was in March 2022 between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The five Champions Cup side mentors have played 1,621 international matches between them, scoring a total of 32,780 runs and taking 1,503 wickets between them. Of the five, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik are two-time ICC Event winners, Misbah is a one-time ICC Event winner and ACC Asia Cup 2012 winning captain, while Saqlain and Waqar were members of the side that played in the 1999 World Cup final.

PCB Chair Mohsin Naqvi

“I am pleased to welcome five exceptional champions as mentors for the Champions Cup teams. These individuals bring a wealth of cricketing experience, knowledge and expertise, which, combined with their passion for the game we all love, will help the Pakistan Cricket Board identify, develop and nurture the next generation of cricketers across all formats. This initiative will not only benefit the Pakistan men’s cricket team but also help bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket.

“These five mentors will play a pivotal role in the development and progression of our emerging cricketers. They will guide strategic planning and team-building processes, while also providing support in leadership and personal development.

“The PCB is committed to strengthening Pakistan’s cricket through a robust domestic structure that offers a clear and competitive pathway for all cricketers. The most talented and skilled players will advance through the ranks to represent Pakistan at the highest level.”

ABOUT THE MENTORS

Misbah-ul-Haq

• Pakistan’s most successful Test captain, who led his side to victories in 26 out of 56 Tests, including inspiring Pakistan to No.1 in the ICC Test Team Rankings in August 2016
• In 2014, equaled the then world record of fastest Test century by hitting a 56-ball 100 against Australia in Abu Dhabi
• Featured in two 50-over World Cups, three T20 World Cups and three ICC Champions Trophy events
• Was a member of the side that played the final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2007 and won the tournament two years later at Lord’s
• One of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year for 2017

Saqlain Mushtaq

• Is the fastest to 250 ODI wickets and took most ODI wickets in a calendar year
• Is second on the list of most consecutive five-wickets in an ODI innings
• Took two hat-tricks in ODIs, including one in a World Cup
• Is the inventor of ‘Doosra’
• Played in three World Cups and two Champions Trophy events

Sarfaraz Ahmed

• Captained Pakistan to victories in the ICC U19 World Cup 2006 and ICC Champions Trophy 2017, was a member of the Pakistan side that won the ACC Asia Cup 2012
• Led Pakistan to No.1 in ICC T20I Team Rankings
• Holds the record for most dismissals in an ODI (all 6 catches)
• Only the second wicket-keeper to have captained his side in 50 or more ODIs; 17^th on the ODI list of wicket-keepers with 2,000 runs and 100 dismissals
• Also played in two 50-over World Cups and one T20 World Cup

Shoaib Malik

• Played in 2007 and 2019 50-over World Cup; featured in six T20 World Cups, including captaining the side in the 2007 event; and, six Champions Trophy tournaments
• Is 33^rd on the list of ODI players with 1,000 runs, 50 wickets and 50 catches
• Holds the record for one of the longest international careers, spanning over 19 years and 245 days
• Has appeared in 35 Tests, 287 ODIs and 124 T20Is in which he has scored 11,867 runs and taken 218 wickets
• He is considered as one of the most sought after and busiest cricketers in franchise cricket

Waqar Younis

• Played in three 50-over World Cups
• Holds the record for fastest to 400 ODI wickets
• Leads the list of captains with best ODI bowling figures
• Is one of the bowlers to dismiss all 11 batters in a Test match
• Coached Pakistan in the 2010 and 2016 T20 World Cups and 2015 World Cup, while last served Pakistan as bowling coach from 2019-2021

Name of Author: PCB

PCB

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), formerly the Board of Control for Cricket in Pakistan, is the governing body for cricket in Pakistan. It oversees and organizes all tours and matches for the Pakistan national cricket team. A member of the International Cricket Council since 1952, the PCB represents Pakistan’s men’s and women’s teams in international cricket tournaments.