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Pakistan batter Fakhar Zaman will not take part in the remainder of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) for the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons. He is set to play in the upcoming Champions Cup One-Day competition in Pakistan, which is scheduled to take place from September 12 to 29.
Fakhar Zaman's CPL 2024 stint lasted only three matches, where he scored 100 runs at a strike rate of 131.57. However, his contributions were in vain as the franchise lost all three games, with two of them being last-ball finishes.
According to a report by Cricket Pakistan, Fakhar Zaman will return to Pakistan to feature for one of the five franchises in the Champions Cup. However, Azam Khan has been permitted to continue playing the CPL as per the No Objection Certificate (NOC) he availed. The wicketkeeper-batter is unlikely to be part of any side in the domestic List-A tournament.
Similarly, other players featuring for Pakistan, including Mohammed Amir and Imad Wasim, will continue playing the CPL as they have already parted ways with the 50-over format.
Saim Ayub was also among the players retained by the Guyana Amazon Warriors ahead of CPL 2024. However, he was not granted an NOC as he is involved with the national team in their ongoing home Test series against Bangladesh.
Pakistan's Champions Cup to feature five teams, with former players acting as mentors
The Champions Cup is a new initiative launched by the Mohsin Naqvi-led Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in a bid to strengthen the talent pool and improve its quality. The tournament aims for players to be better equipped for international cricket when the time for transitions comes.
The inaugural edition of the tournament is set to feature five teams - Dolphins, Lions, Panthers, Stallions, and Wolves. Former skippers Misbah-ul-Haq and Shoaib Malik have been named as mentors for Wolves and Stallions respectively.
The likes of Waqar Younis, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq are also expected to feature as mentors in the competition. Younis recently stepped down as advisor to the PCB chairman after only three weeks in the newfound role.
