Gary Kirsten, the head coach of the Pakistan white-ball team, has been tasked with overseeing the domestic players in the upcoming Champions One Day Cup, scheduled to be held at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad from September 12 to 29.
Gary Kirsten will not be alone in this quest; a group of renowned mentors, including Sarfaraz Ahmed, Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Malik, and Waqar Younis, have been hired on three-year contracts to guide and support the participating teams.
These appointments were made after a rigorous and open screening process to strengthen the local cricket framework and develop new talent.
Gary Kirsten to return from South Africa to monitor Pakistan team players in Champions Cup
Gary Kirsten, who returned to his native of South Africa following Pakistan’s early elimination from the 2024 T20 World Cup, will return to lead the team. Kirsten visited Lahore in July to meet with PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who provided input on the team’s performance and plans.
The Champions One Day Cup, a prominent competition on Pakistan’s cricket calendar, will provide an important opportunity for Kirsten and his side to review and fine-tune their ideas ahead of a pivotal series against Australia in November.
The greatest of the country’s cricketers will compete in the single-league competition, which will also mark the return of men’s senior competitive cricket to Faisalabad after nearly two years. The last domestic men’s 50-over match at the Iqbal Stadium was in March 2022, against Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The 50-over competition will be contested in a single league style, with matches beginning at 3 pm. There will be three playoffs over four days, with the final on Sunday, September 29.
Except for the Lions-Panthers encounter on September 16th, which will begin at 9.30 am local time, all other 13 matchups will start at 3 pm. The Lions and Panthers will face off in a morning match so that the Pakistan against South Africa women’s T20I may be telecast live.
The event schedule is as follows:
12 Sep – Wolves v Panthers
13 Sep – Stallions v Lions
14 Sep – Dolphins v Panthers
15 Sep – Wolves v Stallions
16 Sep – Lions v Panthers
17 Sep – Dolphins v Wolves
19 Sep – Stallions v Dolphins
20 Sep – Lions v Wolves
21 Sep – Panthers v Stallions
22 Sep – Dolphins v Lions
24 Sep – Qualifier (Team No.1 v Team No. 2)
25 Sep – Eliminator 1 (Team No.3 v Team No.4)
27 Sep – Eliminator 2 (Losing Qualifier v Winning Eliminator 2)
29 Sep – Final