Legendary Pakistani pace bowler Waqar Younis has been named as the Lions’ mentor for the upcoming Champions One-Day Cup, which will be held from September 12 to 29 in Faisalabad.
Younis will lead the Lions, who will train at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) during the 2024-25 domestic season. The former Pakistan coach’s appointment came after Shoaib Malik and Misbah-ul-Haq were also named as mentors for the Stallions and Wolves respectively in the upcoming Champions One-Day Cup.
Waqar Younis named Lions mentor in Champions One-Day Cup
This 50-over tournament will bring together the top 150 cricketers in the country. The Champions One-Day Cup will be played in a single league format and the matches, with the exception of the September 16 clash between the Lions and the Panthers, will begin at 3 p.m.
The tournament will feature three knockout rounds over the last four days and will conclude with the final on September 29. The Lions’ campaign in the upcoming Champions One-Day Cup begins on September 13 against Shoaib Malik’s Stallions.
They will also face the Panthers in a one-day match, Misbah-ul-Haq’s Wolves on September 20 and the Dolphins on September 22. Well, the former Pakistan captain has expressed his excitement about his new role and his keenness to contribute to the development of the players once again.
Waqar Younis is excited about his new role in Pakistan cricket
Waqar Younis said that mentoring is an exciting challenge for him and he is looking forward to working with a group of highly talented cricketers. Younis also highlighted the intriguing rivalry that will emerge between the mentors, each aiming to outdo the others, which will add to the excitement and intensity of the competition.
Waqar Yonis said at the press conference: “I am excited by the opportunity to once again contribute to player development. This new role presents a new challenge which I embrace with great enthusiasm. Beyond the opportunity to work with some of the most talented cricketers, there will be a fascinating dynamic between the mentors as each of us will strive to outdo the others. This friendly rivalry will certainly add an extra layer of excitement and intensity to the competition.”
Waqar Younis outlines strategy to address Pakistan’s persistent problems
Meanwhile, Waqar Younis said that Pakistan cricket team is facing several issues and stressed the need to address these concerns in a comprehensive manner and that it will take time and patience. He highlighted the team’s challenges in areas such as fitness, captaincy, fielding, batting and bowling.
Waqar Younis also insisted that overcoming long-standing issues takes time and effort but assured that they are committed to doing their best to support and improve the Pakistan team.
He signed off by saying, “There are problems in the Pakistan team; we can see those problems and I don’t want to repeat them. We will address the issues related to fitness, captaincy, fielding, batting and bowling. Chronic diseases cannot be cured overnight; we are here to do our best and help Pakistan.”
Pakistan suffered an embarrassing home defeat in the two-match Test series against Bangladesh on Tuesday, September 3, highlighting deep-rooted problems within the system as changing the coaching structure has not even changed their fortunes across formats.
