Qaid-e-Azam trophy set for October 26 start

LAHORE: The date for the upcoming Qaid-e-Azam trophy was announced on Wednesday, setting a start date of October 26.

The first match of the tournament will pit defending champions, Karachi Region Whites, against Peshawar Region.

18 teams will participate in the upcoming Quaid-e-Azam trophy, which was dubbed the “pinnacle of domestic cricket in Pakistan,” by Pakistan’s director of domestic operations, Abdullah Niazi.

The tournament has historically been a 16-team tournament, with the 2014-15 season being the last time when more than 16 teams competed, with 26 different squads taking part.

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi stated that the tournament “holds immense importance in the structure of Pakistan’s domestic cricket and its continuation ensures the cultivation of talent for our national team.” The chairman added that it provides an opportunity for young players “to showcase their skills and stake a claim to represent in the Men’s international team.”

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45 group matches will be played in the six cities hosting the tournament, including Abbottabad, Charsadda, Gujrawnwala, Islamabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi.

The 18 teams are being divided into three groups as follows.

GROUP A: Abbottabad Region, Faisalabad Region, Hyderabad Region, Islamabad Region, Lahore Region Whites and Larkana Region.

GROUP B: AJK Region, Bahawalpur Region, Karachi Region Whites, Multan Region, Peshawar Region and Rawalpindi Region.

GROUP C: Dera Murad Jamali, FATA Region, Karachi Region Blues, Lahore Region Blues, Quetta Region and Sialkot Region.

The tournament was initially set to kick off on October 20, but ended up being delayed. Now the tournament is taking place in the midst of Pakistan’s international test season.

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