Waqar, Misbah among five mentors named for Pakistan domestic cricket

On August 26 (Monday), Pakistan's all-time great Waqar Younis was named as one of the five mentors for the Champions Cup domestic one-day tournament, which is set to begin on September 12. The all-rounder was earlier the advisor to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)'s chairman on cricket affairs. 

The other four members named by the PCB are former stalwarts Misbah-Ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik, Saqlain Mushtaq and Sarfaraz Ahmed. Sarfaraz is currently part of the Pakistan squad against Bangladesh.

What is the Champions Cup one-day tournament?

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, in a press conference on Monday (August 26), said that the Champions Cup is going to work as a feeder tournament, as the players who perform well in the tournament will eventually replace the non-performers in the national team. 

“The problem is that the selection committee doesn’t have a bank available with them. This tournament will give us at least 100 people who will be ready to be groomed. When we talk of surgery, we need backup players to do it and this tournament will give us the backup,” Naqvi said in the press conference. 

What's the purpose of it?

According to him, this is one of the major changes that he plans to make to bring Pakistan back on track. The Pakistani team has not won a Test at home on the last nine occasions. 

"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 to help identify, develop and nurture the next generation of cricketers across all formats,” a statement by the PCB read. 

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