Iftikhar, who led Markhors in the absence of regular captain Mohammad Rizwan, took out his frustration on the media personnel, blaming them for the downfall of cricket.

“Cricket is ruined because of you people,” Iftikhar Ahmed said, referring to the Pakistani media.

“Please don’t hype players after one good innings. Let them prove their worth through consistent performances,” the all-rounder added.

Iftikhar Ahmed then urged the media to stop comparing rising players with greats of the game and also to let them perform in all three formats.

“You hype someone after one innings, and then when he fails for Pakistan, you start questioning his selection. For God’s sake, let a player top in all three formats and then speak about him. You guys start saying that we have found the new Inzamam-ul-Haq and things like that.”

 

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Shadab Khan-led Panthers outclassed Markhors in a one-sided final to clinch the inaugural edition of the Champions One-Day Cup on Sunday.

Chasing a meagre 123-run target, Panthers’ captain Shadab Khan sealed the victory with a six off Shahnawaz Dahani on the last ball of the 18th over.

Panthers started the chase strongly with a 51-run opening stand between Umar Siddiq and Abdul Wahid Bangalzai.

For Markhors, Akif Javed and Mohammad Imran claimed two wickets each while Shahnawaz Dahani bagged one wicket.

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Markhors’ captain Iftikhar Ahmed opted to bat first in the final but his decision backfired as his side was bundled out on a meagre 122.

Experienced opener Fakhar Zaman remained the top-scorer for Markhors with a 49-ball 46, followed by young wicketkeeper batter Haseebullah Khan, who made a scratchy 27.

The rest of the Markhors’ batters failed against a ruthless Panthers’ bowling attack, jointly led by Mohammad Hasnain and Sajid Khan, who took three wickets each.

READ: Pakistan captain Masood backs players ahead of ‘crucial’ England Tests

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Chasing a meagre 123-run target, Panthers’ captain Shadab Khan sealed the victory with a six off Shahnawaz Dahani on the last ball of the 18th over.

Panthers started the chase strongly with a 51-run opening stand between Umar Siddiq and Abdul Wahid Bangalzai.

However, Shahnawaz halted their progress as he castled Umar after he scored 19 runs from 21 balls with three boundaries.

Sajid Khan, who was promoted up to bat at number three, scored 15 off 13 before Akif Javed ended his brief stay at the crease.

Usman Khan also fell prey to Akif in the next over after scoring 13 off eight with one four and one six.

Meanwhile, Bangalzai played a solid 41-run knock to keep the Panthers in the hunt before Mohammad Imran removed him and Haider Ali in the same over.

However, the Panthers comfortably chased the total in 18 overs with Rizwan Mehmood scoring an unbeaten 16, while Shadab Khan scored 14 off nine.

For Markhors, Akif Javed and Mohammad Imran claimed two wickets each while Shahnawaz Dahani bagged one wicket.

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Markhors’ captain Iftikhar Ahmed opted to bat first in the final of the inaugural season of the Champions One-Day Cup, however, the decision backfired.

Mohammad Hasnain removed Zain Abbas, who was promoted to open the innings, in the second over with only 13 runs on the board.

Meanwhile, Kamran Ghulam, who is the second-highest run-scorer in the Champions One-Day Cup, failed on the big occasion, falling prey to young speedster Ali Raza after scoring a mere two runs.

Fakhar Zaman and Haseebullah Khan showed resistance with a 56-run partnership for the third wicket before Sajid Khan castled the latter.

Haseebullah played a scratchy knock of 27 runs from 48 balls with the help of three boundaries.

Meanwhile, Fakhar also fell to Sajid in the next over after top-scoring with a 46-run knock from 49 balls, laced with five boundaries and one six.

Markhors failed to recover and suffered a dramatic collapse as they lost their six wickets for 38 runs, bundling out for a meagre 122 runs.

Young spinner Arafat Minhas returned with brilliant bowling figures of 3-1 for Panthers, while Hasnain took three wickets for 38 runs. Sajid Khan bagged two crucial wickets, while Ali Raza and Shadab Khan bagged one each.

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The final, set to begin at 3pm will be the third occasion in this tournament where these two teams will face each other with both having won one game each previously.

In the tournament opener on 12 September, the Markhors got the better of Panthers with a 160-run win while the Panthers defeated Markhors in the qualifier by seven wickets to reach the final.

Markhors on the other hand advanced to the final based on their top standing in the league stage after their eliminator clash against the Nurpur Lions was called off without a ball being bowled.

In total the Panthers have so far played five matches in the tournament winning four and losing just one while the Markhors have played six games reaping three wins, two losses while their last game was a washout.

Markhors and Panthers have both seen changes in their squads after Pakistan’s Test squad for the first Test against England was announced. In the Markhors squad, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah and Salman Ali Agha have been replaced by Bismillah Khan, Niaz Khan and Zain Abbas.

Danish Aziz and Sajid Khan have replaced Mubasir Khan and Saim Ayub in the Panthers squad. While Saim was named in the Test squad, the all-rounder Mubasir was ruled out due to a thumb fracture.

Panthers’ Usman Khan leads the runs scoring charts in the tournament with 259 runs at an average of 64.75 in five matches with one hundred. Stallions’ Tayyab Tahir sits on the second spot with 249 runs at 49.80 while Kamran Ghulam of Markhors has scored 248 runs in the five matches at 49.60 including two hundreds.

Usman and Kamran will look to finish as the top run-scorers of the tournament.

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On the bowling front, Panthers’ Mohammad Hasnain is the leading wicket-taker with 14 wickets followed by Stallions’ Jahandad Khan, Lions’ and Markhors’ Zahid Mahmood who have 10 each to their names.

Markhors’ captain Iftikhar Ahmed is upbeat about the chance to become the inaugural edition of the tournament and also to instil his experience to the youngsters in the squad.

“The Bahria Town Champions One-Day Cup has been a fantastic tournament and to stake a claim for becoming the inaugural champions of this domestic competition is an exciting prospect for the UMT Markhors.

“I will look to instil my experience of playing for Pakistan in high-pressure games to the young players in our squad. The fans will surely get to see a highly-competitive final tomorrow.

“We are hopeful to repeat the opening game heroics against the Lake City Panthers. Despite the departure of Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah and Salman Ali Agha, the Markhors team is committed to giving the best performance in the final and lifting the trophy.”

Shadab Khan, on the other hand, shared his excitement to lead the Panthers in the Champions Cup final before asserting that the team is steadfast, having been able to rest for four days after the Qualifier.

“I’m really excited to be leading the Lake City Panthers in the final of the Bahria Town Champions One-Day Cup and I’m pretty sure this occasion will bring the best out of our players.

“After our win in the Qualifier, we had four off days where we took ample rest and trained for the final as well which has set up the Panthers squad in the best stead possible to compete in a high-profile game.

“We will miss Saim Ayub’s presence with the ball and bat but so many of the other players are ready to put their hand up and give their best. The final is going to be a cracking contest and I hope the fans turn up in big numbers as they have done throughout the tournament.”

READ: Sri Lanka sniff series victory as New Zealand trail by 315 after follow-on

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According to the tournament qualifying conditions, in case of a washout in the play-offs, the team which has a higher standing at the completion of the league matches will qualify for the next stage.

The Markhors finished the league stage on top of the points table with three wins, one loss and 38 points while the Lions were placed fourth on the table with one win, three losses and 12 points. Markhors will now face the Panthers in the final on 29 September.

The two sides last locked horns in the Champions One-Day Cup Qualifier on Tuesday when Saim Ayub’s all-round exploits propelled Panthers into the final.

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Saim Ayub backed his five-wicket haul with a brisk knock up the order, helping Panthers to chase down the modest 138-run target in 23.4 overs.

Panthers Squad: Shadab Khan (captain), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Ahmed Bashir, Amad Butt, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Haider Ali, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Umar, Mohammad Zeeshan, Mubasir Khan, Rizwan Mehmood, Umar Siddiq and Usman Khan.

Markhors Squad: Iftikhar Ahmed (captain), Abdul Samad, Akif Javed, Ali Usman, Bismillah Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Faizan, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Sarwar Afridi, Muhammad Imran, Shahnawaz Dahani.

READ: New Zealand stumble after Sri Lanka’s run fest in second Test

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The winner of the Eliminator will face the winners of the Qualifier — Panthers, led by all-rounder Shadab Khan, in the final on 29 September.

Notably, Panthers outclassed Mohammad Rizwan-led Markhors by seven wickets to qualify for the Champions One-Day Cup final.

Saim Ayub played a pivotal role in guiding his side to victory in the high-stakes clash by backing his five-wicket haul with an anchoring knock up the order in the run chase.

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He was supported by wicketkeeper batter Usman Khan, who scored a quickfire half-century to steer the Panthers to a statement victory with 158 balls to spare.

Meanwhile, the Lions defeated Stallions with a narrow 12-run margin in the Champions One-Day Cup Eliminator to set up the Eliminator 2 against Markhors.

It’s worth noting that the players selected in Pakistan’s squad for the first Test against England have been withdrawn from Champions One-Day Cup squads.

Consequently, the Lions will be without their captain Shaheen Afridi, all-rounder Aamir Jamal and opening batter Abdullah Shafique, meanwhile, Markhors will be missing skipper Mohammad Rizwan, as well as all-rounder Salman Ali Agha and pace bowler Naseem Shah.

READ: Pakistan cricketer slams Jason Gillespie over ‘same players’ in Test squad

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Set to chase 264, the Stallions batting unit unfolded on 251 on the third delivery of the final over.

The Stallions got off to a decent start to the run chase as openers Maaz Sadaqat and Yasir Khan provided a solid 68-run partnership.

But both openers Sadaqat and Yasir alongside Adil Amin perished in quick succession, resulting in Stallions slipping to 68/3.

After the top-order collapse, Tayyab Tahir and Hussain Talat forged an anchoring partnership for the fourth wicket.

The duo added an important 53 runs before both fell in successive overs to leave Stallions reeling at 139/5 in 30.3 overs.

Stallions’ captain Mohammad Haris then took the reigns of the pursuit and put on crucial partnerships with Mohammad Mohsin and Jahandad Khan before falling victim to Ahmed Daniyal in the 46th over.

Haris smashed three boundaries on his way to a 42-ball 30.

The Stallions slipped further to 246/9 in 48.5 but Jahandad had kept them in the hunt with a gutsy knock, which however, had an agonizing end as he was run out as a result of a mixup.

Ahmed Daniyal and Khushdil Shah bagged three wickets each for the Lions while Sirajuddin, Faisal Akram and Sharoon Siraj shared three wickets between them.

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Opting to bat first, Lions managed to accumulate 263/9 in the allotted 50 overs, mainly due to a defiant 81-run partnership between Aamer Yamin and Daniyal.

The Lions got off to a dismal start to their innings as Ubaid Shah ran through their top order, claiming key wickets of Kamran Ghulam (4), Omair Bin Yousuf (4) and stand-in captain Imam-ul-Haq (23) inside the batting powerplay.

The Lions were in tatters at 43/3 in the 10th over.

Following the slump, Sharoon Siraj and Mohammad Talha launched a recovery with a cautious partnership for the fourth wicket.

The duo batted sensibly against a charged Stallions’ bowling attack and added 77 runs for the fourth wicket, conceding 92 balls in the process.

The budding partnership finally ended in the 25th over when Maaz Sadaqat sent Siraj packing. He scored 38 off 50 deliveries with the help of three boundaries including a six.

Taha followed suit in the next over, falling victim to Adil Amin after scoring a gritty 47 off 59 deliveries, laced up with two fours and as many sixes.

The Lions then lost two more wickets in quick succession and consequently slipped to 140/7 in 30.4 overs.

But, a sensational eighth-wicket partnership between Ahmed Daniyal and Aamer Yamin pulled the side out of trouble.

The duo added 81 runs in 80 deliveries amid their defiant stand, which lasted with Yamin getting run out in the 44th over.

The seasoned all-rounder smashed three fours and two sixes on his way to a 57-ball 46.

Meanwhile, Daniyal continued to dominate the Stallions’ bowlers and carried his bat all the way through with an unbeaten half-century.

He remained the top-scorer for the Lions with a 59-ball 65, peppered with one four and five sixes.

Ubaid Shah was the standout bowler for the Stallions, picking up three wickets while Adil and Maaz bagged two wickets apiece.

The Lions will now face Markhors in Qualifier 2 of the Champions One-Day Cup, scheduled on Friday.

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PLAYING XIs

Stallions: Mohammad Haris (c), Yasir Khan, Mohammad Mohsin, Hussain Talat, Tayyab Tahir, Adil Amin, Jahandad Khan, Maaz Sadaqat, Zaman Khan, Ubaid Shah, Haris Rauf.

Lions: Rohail Nazir, Imam-ul-Haq, Omair Yousuf, Mohammad Taha, Sharoon Siraj, Irfan Khan, Khushdil Shah, Sirajuddin, Faisal Akram, Ahmed Daniyal, Aamer Yamin.

Both Lions and Stallions made major changes to their lineups as the players selected in Pakistan’s squad for the first Test against England, have been withdrawn from the Champions One-Day Cup on the recommendation of head coach Jason Gillespie.

“With a busy domestic and international cricket schedule, it makes sense to give our players some much-needed rest ahead of the Test series against England,” said Gillespie.

“We are very much looking forward to the series against England here in Pakistan and cannot wait for it to begin. We are excited about playing in front of our wonderful supporters,” he added.

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Meanwhile, in the Qualifier of the five-team tournament, Shadab Khan’s Panthers outclassed Mohammad Rizwan-led Markhors by seven wickets and qualified for the Champions One-Day Cup final.

Saim Ayub played a pivotal role in guiding his side to victory in the high-stakes clash by backing his five-wicket haul with an anchoring knock up the order in the run chase.

He was supported by wicketkeeper batter Usman Khan, who scored a quickfire half-century to steer the Panthers to a statement victory with 158 balls to spare.

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Dar stepped down from the International Cricket Council (ICC) Elite Panel of Umpires after 19 years but remained involved in domestic matches and international matches within Pakistan.

But the ongoing domestic season will mark the end of his umpiring career and Dar will then turn his entire focus towards his thalassemia hospital.

The announcement was made by commentator Tariq Saeed during the Champions One-Day Cup.

Dar, who had been a part of the Elite Panel since its inception in 2002, officiated more Tests and ODIs than any other umpire and is second in T20Is, behind compatriot Ahsan Raza.

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Aleem Dar officiated a record 448 international matches, including 145 Tests, 231 ODIs, and 72 T20Is.

“It has been a long journey, but I have enjoyed every bit of it. I have had the pleasure and honour of umpiring the world over and what I have achieved is something I did not even dream of when I started in the profession,” said Dar.

“Though I am still keen to continue as an international umpire, I felt it was now the right time, after 19 years on the road to step away from the Elite panel and provide an opportunity to someone from the International Panel. My message to umpires the world over is to work hard, maintain discipline and never stop learning.

“I thank the ICC, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and my colleagues on the panel for their support over the years. I would also like to thank my family; without whose support I could not have gone on for so long. I look forward to continuing to serve the game as an umpire.”

READ: Aamir Jamal returns as Pakistan unveil squad for first England Test

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Saud’s Dolphins was the only team left out of the playoffs as they finished last after the group-stage matches of the five-team tournament, managing just 12 points in four games.

The middle-order batter while speaking to a local news channel reflected on his team’s performance in the Champions Cup, suggesting that they struggled in all three departments.

“We didn’t play the way we wanted to in any of the three aspects—batting, bowling, or fielding. But winning and losing is part of the game, and it’s important to learn from our mistakes,” Saud said.

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Saud Shakeel further claimed that toss played a significant role in their ouster from the tournament before mentioning that some of the umpiring decisions also dented their campaign.

“The toss was crucial. In all three matches, we ended up bowling first, which didn’t work in our favour. Additionally, some umpiring decisions went against us, which impacted our performance,” he explained.

The left-handed batter then went on to reveal that the Dolphins had a strict focus on physical fitness ahead of the Champions Cup and also that all of their players had passed the fitness test but suggested that the players need to work on their physical conditioning.

“Perhaps the heat affected our energy levels. As professional players, we need to improve wherever we see room for it,” he added.

“The true test of a cricketer lies in long-format cricket, but anyone with solid first-class experience can excel in any format,” Saud concluded.

READ: Saim, Hasnain wreak havoc as Panthers book Markhors on 137

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The crushing victory powered Shadab Khan-led Panthers into the Champions One-Day Cup final while Mohammad Rizwan’s Markhors will face the winning team of the Eliminator between Stallions and Lions, scheduled on Wednesday.

Chasing a modest total, the Panthers knocked the winning runs in style when Usman Khan smashed Kamran Ghulam for a six on the fourth delivery of the 24th over and also brought up his half-century in just 26 balls.

The Panthers got off to an unwanted start to the pursuit as they lost young opener Azan Awais (13) in the sixth over with just 21 runs on the board.

Following the early hiccup, Saim Ayub forged an anchoring 50-run partnership with Umar Siddiq and put the Panthers halfway through.

The in-form opener finally perished in the 16th over, falling victim to Zahid Mahmood after scoring a 36-ball 33 with the help of six boundaries.

Siddiq followed suit just three overs later as he fell victim to Salman Ali Agha in the 19th over after scoring 35 off 52 deliveries.

Wicketkeeper batter Usman Khan then forged a one-sided partnership with Rizwan Mehmood and steered Panthers to a crushing victory.

Usman smashed five fours and four sixes on his way to top score for Panthers with a 26-ball 54 while Rizwan made five not out.

For Markhors, Akif Javed, Agha and Zahid could pick one wicket apiece.

Markhors’ captain Mohammad Rizwan’s decision to bat first backfired as their batters skittled against a disciplined Panthers’ bowling attack and could accumulate 137 runs before being bundled out in 37 overs.

Young pacer Ali Raza gave Panthers a head start with the ball as he got Haseebullah (3) caught behind on the second delivery of the second over.

In-form Mohammad Hasnain then capitalized on the start provided by Raza and struck thrice in quick succession to leave Markhors reeling at 25/4 in 6.5 overs.

Following the early debacle, Iftikhar Ahmed and Salman Ali Agha launched a recovery with a cautious fifth-wicket partnership.

The duo had settled down, having scored 67 runs for the fifth wicket but had a disappointing end to their stand as Iftikhar was run out.

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Iftikhar scored 39 off 61 balls, hitting three fours and a six.

Saim Ayub then ran through Markhors’ lower middle order with a five-wicket haul. The table-toppers lost their remaining five wickets for just 35 runs and were eventually bundled out in 37 overs.

Salman Ali Agha remained the top-scorer for Markhors with a gutsy half-century, scoring 52 off 81 deliveries, laced up with four fours and a six.

Saim Ayub was the standout bowler for the Panthers, returning brilliant figures of 5/24, followed by Hasnain’s 3/25 while Raza made one scalp.

It is worth mentioning that Mohammad Haris’ Stallions will lock horns with Shaheen Afridi’s Lions in the Eliminator of the Champions One-Day Cup on Wednesday at the same venue.

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