Sarfaraz confirmed as Dolphins mentor

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed Sarfaraz Ahmed, a two-time ICC event winner, as the mentor for the Dolphins in the upcoming Champions One-Day Cup.

The tournament, which will feature 150 of the country’s best cricketers, is scheduled to be held in Faisalabad from 12 to 29 September. Sarfaraz, known for captaining Pakistan to victory in the ICC U19 World Cup 2006 and ICC Champions Trophy 2017, will bring his wealth of experience to the Dolphins. The team will be based at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre in Karachi as they prepare for the tournament.

The Dolphins will begin their campaign against Saqlain Mushtaq’s Panthers on 14 September, followed by key matches against Misbah-ul-Haq’s Wolves on 17 September, Shoaib Malik’s Stallions on 19 September, and Waqar Younis’ Lions on 22 September.

The Champions One-Day Cup will be played in a single-league format with 50-over matches, featuring Pakistan’s top cricket talent. The tournament will culminate in three playoffs, leading up to the final on 29 September.

Sarfaraz Ahmed, who has a distinguished career with several records to his name—including being the first Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter to score a World Cup century and leading Pakistan to No. 1 in ICC T20I rankings—expressed his excitement about this new role as mentor and player for the Dolphins.

“Mentoring a highly-rated Dolphins side in what promises to be a keenly contested and hard-fought tournament is something I’m eagerly looking forward to,” Sarfaraz said. He added that participating in the tournament as a player will make his role even more dynamic, as he will be both guiding the team and contributing on the field.