Islamabad, Nov 25: Leading Pakistan Cricketers to Miss Champions T20 Cup. The Champions T20 Cup, which is slated to take place from December 7 to 25, promises to be an entertaining domestic match for Pakistani cricket, but there will be some noticeable exclusions.
As they prepare for a Test series against South Africa, standout batsman-wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, pace sensation Shaheen Shah Afridi, and captain Babar Azam will not participate in the competition.
Putting National Commitments First:
The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) policy of giving international cricket precedence over domestic competitions is reflected in the absence of the three players as well as other centrally contracted players and participants in Pakistan’s current Zimbabwe tour.
Players presently being considered for the Test series are not included in the tentative squads published by the tournament’s mentors. After the national selectors have made their final selections for South Africa, the final squads will be decided, giving the mentors time to make any necessary revisions.
Teams in preparation for the Champions T20 Cup:
Five franchise-style teams, each coached by a cricketing legend, compete in the competition. The provisional squads are broken down as follows:
Engro Dolphins
Mentor: Sarfaraz Ahmed
| Player | Role |
| Asif Ali | Batter |
| Faheem Ashraf | All-Rounder |
| Ihsanullah | Pacer |
| Khubaib Khalil | Batter |
| Kashif Ali | Batter |
| Mirza Tahir Baig | Batter |
| Muhammad Akhlaq | Wicketkeeper-Batter |
| Muhammad Ghazi Ghori | Spinner |
| Salman Afridi | All-Rounder |
| Salman Irshad | Pacer |
| Shayan Sheikh | All-Rounder |
| Umar Amin | Batter |
Lake City Panthers
Mentor: Saqlain Mushtaq
| Player | Role |
| Abdul Wahid Bangalzai | Batter |
| Ali Raza | Spinner |
| Amad Butt | All-Rounder |
| Danish Aziz | All-Rounder |
| Haider Ali | Batter |
| Hasan Ali | Pacer |
| Irfanullah Shah | Pacer |
| Mohammad Umar | Pacer |
| Mohammad Zeeshan | Batter |
| Mubasir Khan | All-Rounder |
| Rehan Afridi | Wicketkeeper-Batter |
| Rizwan Mehmood | Spinner |
| Saad Baig | Wicketkeeper-Batter |
| Sharjeel Khan | Batter |
| Umar Siddiq | Wicketkeeper-Batter |
| Usama Mir | Spinner |
Nurpur Lions
Mentor: Waqar Younis
| Player | Role |
| Aamer Yamin | All-Rounder |
| Arif Yaqoob | Batter |
| Hasan Nawaz | Batter |
| Hunain Shah | Pacer |
| Imam-ul-Haq | Batter |
| Khushdil Shah | All-Rounder |
| Mohammad Basit | Batter |
| Mohammad Faiq | Spinner |
| Mohammad Junaid | Pacer |
| Mohammad Siraj | Spinner |
| Mohammad Taha | Batter |
| Musa Khan | Pacer |
| Rohail Nazir | Wicketkeeper-Batter |
| Sajjad Ali Hashmi | Batter |
| Shahab Khan | Spinner |
UMT Markhors
Mentor: Misbah-ul-Haq
| Player | Role |
| Abdul Samad | Batter |
| Akif Javed | Pacer |
| Ali Shafique | Batter |
| Ali Shan | Batter |
| Ali Usman | Spinner |
| Bilawal Bhatti | All-Rounder |
| Bismillah Khan | Wicketkeeper-Batter |
| Fakhar Zaman | Batter |
| Iftikhar Ahmed | All-Rounder |
| Khawaja Mohammad Nafay | Batter |
| Mohammad Faizan | Spinner |
| Mohammad Imran Jnr | All-Rounder |
| Mohammad Nawaz | All-Rounder |
| Mohammad Rameez Jnr | Pacer |
| Mohammad Sarwar Afridi | Pacer |
| Muhammad Imran Randhawa | All-Rounder |
| Muhammad Shehzad | Wicketkeeper-Batter |
| Niaz Khan | Spinner |
| Nisar Ahmed | Batter |
| Saad Masood | All-Rounder |
| Zahid Mehmood | Spinner |
With some of Pakistan’s best domestic players taking center stage, the Champions T20 Cup guarantees exciting action. In the absence of well-known names, fans will expect to see up-and-coming talent step up and keep the domestic circuit interesting and competitive.
