TOURNAMENT REVIEW
Follow UsPakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi had announced in August, 2024 that the Champions One-Day Cup, Pakistan’s newest, rechristened entity in a list of so many rehashed tournaments, would be the game changer. He had said that this will give the country a list of 100-150 cricketers that will be able to replace settled, but non-performing names of the senior men’s team across all formats.
Five marquee coaches—former stars Shoaib Malik, Waqar Younis, Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, and Sarfraz Ahmed—were made the mentors of the five teams. In the end, after 14 matches, one of which was abandoned, the winner was decided.
However, despite the long claims of the PCB, and the selection of former stars as mentors, this tournament didn't give enough buzz. The stands in the Iqbal Stadium in a tier-two town like Faisalabad, could not be filled to the brim despite all the Pakistan international players being part of the event. However, the stadium atmosphere looked really energetic whenever Babar played.
So how did it all start?
The inaugural match of the tournament was played between Markhors and Panthers on September 12. It started a phenomenon of one-sided affairs. The Markhors won by 160 runs as Kamran Ghulam scored a century. There was not even a single game at the league stage that could have been called a tight finish.
Who all reached the playoffs?
At the end of 10 league matches, Markhors, Panthers, Lions and Stallions reached the playoffs as the top-four teams. And it was in the first eliminator that Faisalabad finally witnessed what could be called a close game. Lions, opting to bat first, could only get to 263, thanks to number nine Ahmed Daniyal top-coring with 69* off 58 balls.
The chase began nicely for the Stallions with the openers adding 64 for the first wicket. However, once that stand was broken, wickets started falling in bunches and from 187/5 in 39 overs, the team representing Sialkot were bowled out for 251 in 49.3 overs, losing the match by 12 runs.
In Qualifier-1, the Panthers had it easy as they bowled the Markhors out for 137, with part-timer Saim Ayub picking a five-wicket haul.
However, the second eliminator getting washed out eliminated the Lions, as Markhors stood in a better position than them at the end of the league stage.
Who finally became the Champions of Champions One-Day Cup?
Therefore, the final of the Champions One-Day Cup 2024 was a repeat of the Qualifier, not just because the two teams featured in both games were the same but also because the Markhors could not cross the 150-run mark yet again.
The Panthers won the final, a one-sided affair, and were crowned the inaugural champions of the Champions-One-Day Cup.
And who were the real hits of the tournament?
It was quite a tournament for Mohammad Hasnain, who has mainly remained on the fringes since the ‘bowling-arm not bending as per rules’ controversy that made him undergo several tests. He was eventually cleared to bowl again in May 2022.
The right arm quick picked up 17 wickets in six matches for the Panthers. Hasnain was rightfully adjudged Player of the Series for picking his wickets at an average of 16.17 and with a best figure of 5/74.
Usman Khan, who has been a late bloomer of sorts, continued to pile up runs to make a case for himself, albeit without much success. Someone like Abdullah Shafique still managed to find a place in the Pakistan squad for the England series, but Usman was ignored.
While Usman smashed 272 runs at an average of 54.20 in his six innings, Shafique could muster only 89 in four innings. Usman struck at 129.3, the best among all the batters with at least 100 runs in the competition.
Babar Azam played two good and two bad innings among the four that he featured in. However, he still managed to finish among the top-four run-getters with finally a century to his name after a gap of more than one year.
Pakistan's white-ball skipper scored 230 runs at an average of 76.66, the highest among all the batters with at least 100 runs in the competition.
Who missed the trick?
Both Shaheen Afridi and Babar took to the tournament as a stage to show that they are still the best in the country in bowling and batting, respectively. Though Babar proved that with two fantastic innings and by averaging the highest, Shaheen found the going tough.
The left-arm pacer could get only nine wickets in four games, with his average being 29.33. He had the worst economy rate of all bowlers, with at least six wickets in the tournament. But that did not have any effect as he was selected in the Pakistan side for the England series, once again reaffirming the non-importance of this tournament.
Another of the Pakistan stars searching for form alongside Babar and Shaheen was Shadab Khan. The leg-spinning all-rounder managed to hit 120 runs and take five wickets, which, at best, could be considered mediocre from a star player’s point of view.
Though he averaged 40 with the bat, his bowling average of 37 was more than enough to suggest where his form is headed with the ball.
Who stood out from the crowd?
Saim Ayub
Saim Ayub has been given a lot of chances by the Pakistan team. Though he has failed to put in that impactful performance so far at the international level, he nailed the chances in this tournament.
Not only did Ayub hit 156 in an innings, the highest individual score of the tournament, but also picked up 5/24, the second-best bowling figure of the tournament.
Ayub collected 225 runs in five innings at an average of 45 and a strike rate of 98.71. He managed to keep his place in the Pakistan’s Test squad.
With seven wickets at an average of 28.14 in just four innings for an off-spinner whose economy rate was below six (5.96), Mubasir Khan packed a solid punch. However, it was the youngster’s hunger to perform with both bat and ball and prove his utility as an all-rounder that caught the eye.
The 22-year-old scored 146 runs at a batting average of 36 and a strike rate of 92. He had a score of 90, batting at number five. There is a clear indication that given the chance, the Rawalpindi-born could be what Shadab hasn't been able to for the Pakistan team - a genuine all-rounder.
Top Guns from Champions One-Day Cup 2024
What to expect further?
It is hard to expect anything of what transpired across 14 matches other than the fact that it might make a comeback in the next year, and if it does, then hopefully, there will be a few close encounters. Other than that, players like Hasnain, Mubasir, Tayyab Tahir, and Usman Khan are getting chances ahead of the champions trophy, which might just help the Men in Green.
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