KARACHI: Almost the entire Pakistan squad, which will travel to the UAE next week for the forthcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, is likely to be seen in action in the opening round of the country’s premier first-class cricket competition, the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Championship, which begins from Thursday.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has requested the selected 15 players to appear in the first-round matches to get acclimatised in the four-day format since Pakistan head straight into the Sri Lanka series with not a single practice game scheduled before the three back-to-back Tests.
Pakistan will also become the first nation to implement at the first-class level the new playing conditions which the International Cricket Council made mandatory from Oct 1 after having already introduced them in the ongoing Inter-region/department under-19 tournament.
As usual, only the 12-team Division I segment, of which Habib Bank Limited (HBL) are the defending champions after beating PIA in a eventful Jan 13-17 final that made history since it was first-ever day/night first-class fixture to be played in Pakistan, will be sponsored by Faysal Bank.
As per rules of the tournament two bottom teams — one department and one regional outfit — on the points table at the conclusion will be demoted to Division II for the 2012-13 season.
The department side finishing lowest in the 10-team Division II will be relegated to Patron’s Trophy for the next season. The United Bank Limited (UBL), returning to the first-class section after a lapse of 15 seasons, won the non-first-class competition last season to qualify for the Quaid Trophy’s second tier event.
The State Bank of Pakistan, who returned to the first-class arena after many seasons, earned the right to play Division I after winning the Division II Quaid Trophy title on the first-innings lead after their scheduled Dec 31-Jan 4 final against the KRL was decided on an unprecedented seventh day at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, chiefly because of bad weather and the assassination of the then Punjab Governor Salman Taseer.
Matches schedule:
Division I:
Oct 3-6: Karachi Blues v State Bank (National Stadium, Karachi); Sialkot v Habib Bank (Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot); Rawalpindi v National Bank (Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium); Abbottabad v Wapda (Abbottabad Cricket Stadium); Islamabad v PIA (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); Faisalabad v ZTBL (Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad).
Oct 12-15: Karachi Blues v ZTBL (National Stadium, Karachi); Sialkot v State Bank (Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot); Rawalpindi v PIA (Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium); Abbottabad v Habib Bank (Abbottabad Cricket Stadium); Islamabad v National Bank (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); Faisalabad v Wapda (Sports Stadium, Sargodha).
Oct 18-21: Karachi Blues v Wapda (National Stadium, Karachi); Sialkot v ZTBL (Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot); Rawalpindi v Habib Bank (Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium); Abbottabad v National Bank (Abbottabad Cricket Stadium); Islamabad v State Bank (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); Faisalabad v PIA (Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad).
Oct 24-27: Karachi Blues v PIA (National Stadium, Karachi); Sialkot v Wapda (Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot); Rawalpindi v ZTBL (Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium); Abbottabad v State Bank (Abbottabad Cricket Stadium); Islamabad v Habib Bank (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); Faisalabad v National Bank (Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad).
Oct 30-Nov 2: Karachi Blues v Habib Bank (National Stadium, Karachi); Sialkot v National Bank (Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot); Rawalpindi v Wapda (Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium); Abbottabad v PIA (Abbottabad Cricket Stadium); Islamabad v ZTBL (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); Faisalabad v State Bank (Sports Stadium, Sargodha).
Nov 12-15: Karachi Blues v National Bank (National Stadium, Karachi); Sialkot v PIA (Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot); Rawalpindi (Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium); Abbottabad v ZTBL (Abbottabad Cricket Stadium); Islamabad v Wapda (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); Faisalabad v Habib Bank (Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad).
Nov 18-21: Sialkot v Karachi Blues (Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot); Islamabad v Rawalpindi (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); Abbottabad v Faisalabad (Gohati Cricket Stadium, Swabi); Habib Bank v ZTBL (Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium); National Bank v State Bank (Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad); PIA v Wapda (Marghazar Cricket Ground, Islamabad).
Nov 24-27: Faisalabad v Karachi Blues (Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad); Rawalpindi v Sialkot (Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium); Abbottabad v Islamabad (Abbottabad Cricket Stadium); Habib Bank v State Bank (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); National Bank v PIA (Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot); Wapda v ZTBL (National Cricket Ground, Islamabad).
Nov 30-Dec 3: Karachi Blues v Abbottabad (National Stadium, Karachi); Islamabad v Sialkot (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); Faisalabad v Rawalpindi (Sports Ground, Sargodha); Habib Bank v National Bank (Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad); State Bank v Wapda (Marghazar Cricket Ground, Islamabad); PIA v ZTBL (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore).
Dec 8-11: Karachi Blues v Rawalpindi (National Stadium, Karachi); Abbottabad v Sialkot (Abbottabad Cricket Stadium); Islamabad v Faisalabad (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); Habib Bank v Wapda (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore); National Bank v ZTBL (LCCA Ground, Lahore); PIA v State Bank (National Cricket Ground, Islamabad).
Dec 14-17: Karachi Blues v Islamabad (National Stadium, Karachi); Sialkot v Faisalabad (Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot); Rawalpindi
v Abbottabad (Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium); Habib Bank v PIA (LCCA Ground, Lahore); National Bank v Wapda (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore); State Bank v ZTBL (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad).
Dec 20-24: Final (venue to be decided).
Division II:
Oct 6-9: United Bank v Karachi Whites (UBL Sports Complex, Karachi); Lahore Ravi v Lahore Shalimar (LCCA Ground, Lahore); Hyderabad v Quetta (Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad); Peshawar v Multan (Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar); KRL v SNGPL (KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi).
Oct 12-15: Karachi Whites v Quetta (NBP Sports Complex, Karachi); Hyderabad v United Bank (Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad); Lahore Shalimar v KRL (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore); Peshawar v Lahore Ravi (Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar); Multan v SNGPL (Multan Cricket Stadium).
Oct 18-21: Karachi Whites v SNGPL (NBP Sports Complex, Karachi); Lahore Shalimar v Peshawar (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore); Lahore Ravi v United Bank (LCCA Ground, Lahore); Hyderabad v KRL (Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad); Multan v Quetta (Multan Cricket Stadium).
Oct 24-27: Karachi Whites v KRL (NBP Sports Complex, Karachi); Peshawar v United Bank ((Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar); Hyderabad v SNGPL (Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad); Lahore Shalimar v Quetta (LCCA Ground, Lahore); Lahore Ravi v Multan (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore).
Oct 30-Nov 2: Hyderabad v Karachi Whites (Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad); Lahore Shalimar v United Bank (LCCA Ground, Lahore); Lahore Ravi v Quetta (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore); Peshawar v SNGPL (Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar); Multan v KRL (Multan Cricket Stadium).
Nov 12-15: Karachi Whites v Multan (NBP Sports Complex, Karachi); Lahore Shalimar v Hyderabad (LCCA Ground, Lahore); Lahore Ravi v SNGPL (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore); Peshawar v KRL (Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar); Quetta v United Bank (National Cricket Ground, Islamabad).
Nov 18-21: Lahore Ravi v Karachi Whites (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore); Lahore Shalimar v SNGPL (LCCA Ground, Lahore); Hyderabad v Peshawar (Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad); KRL v Quetta (KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi); Multan v United Bank (Multan Cricket Stadium).
Nov 24-27: Karachi Whites v Peshawar (National Stadium, Karachi); Hyderabad v Lahore Ravi (Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad); Quetta v SNGPL (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore); KRL v United Bank (LCCA Ground, Lahore); Multan v Lahore Shalimar (Multan Cricket Stadium).
Nov 30:Dec 3: Karachi Whites v Lahore Shalimar (NBP Sports Complex, Karachi); Multan v Hyderabad (Dring Stadium, Bahawalpur); Lahore Ravi v KRL (LCCA Ground, Lahore); SNGPL v United Bank (Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot); Peshawar v Quetta (Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar).
Pakistan will also become the first nation to implement at the first-class level the new playing conditions which the International Cricket Council made mandatory from Oct 1 after having already introduced them in the ongoing Inter-region/department under-19 tournament.
As usual, only the 12-team Division I segment, of which Habib Bank Limited (HBL) are the defending champions after beating PIA in a eventful Jan 13-17 final that made history since it was first-ever day/night first-class fixture to be played in Pakistan, will be sponsored by Faysal Bank.
As per rules of the tournament two bottom teams — one department and one regional outfit — on the points table at the conclusion will be demoted to Division II for the 2012-13 season.
The department side finishing lowest in the 10-team Division II will be relegated to Patron’s Trophy for the next season. The United Bank Limited (UBL), returning to the first-class section after a lapse of 15 seasons, won the non-first-class competition last season to qualify for the Quaid Trophy’s second tier event.
The State Bank of Pakistan, who returned to the first-class arena after many seasons, earned the right to play Division I after winning the Division II Quaid Trophy title on the first-innings lead after their scheduled Dec 31-Jan 4 final against the KRL was decided on an unprecedented seventh day at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, chiefly because of bad weather and the assassination of the then Punjab Governor Salman Taseer.
Matches schedule:
Division I:
Oct 3-6: Karachi Blues v State Bank (National Stadium, Karachi); Sialkot v Habib Bank (Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot); Rawalpindi v National Bank (Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium); Abbottabad v Wapda (Abbottabad Cricket Stadium); Islamabad v PIA (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); Faisalabad v ZTBL (Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad).
Oct 12-15: Karachi Blues v ZTBL (National Stadium, Karachi); Sialkot v State Bank (Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot); Rawalpindi v PIA (Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium); Abbottabad v Habib Bank (Abbottabad Cricket Stadium); Islamabad v National Bank (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); Faisalabad v Wapda (Sports Stadium, Sargodha).
Oct 18-21: Karachi Blues v Wapda (National Stadium, Karachi); Sialkot v ZTBL (Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot); Rawalpindi v Habib Bank (Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium); Abbottabad v National Bank (Abbottabad Cricket Stadium); Islamabad v State Bank (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); Faisalabad v PIA (Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad).
Oct 24-27: Karachi Blues v PIA (National Stadium, Karachi); Sialkot v Wapda (Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot); Rawalpindi v ZTBL (Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium); Abbottabad v State Bank (Abbottabad Cricket Stadium); Islamabad v Habib Bank (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); Faisalabad v National Bank (Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad).
Oct 30-Nov 2: Karachi Blues v Habib Bank (National Stadium, Karachi); Sialkot v National Bank (Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot); Rawalpindi v Wapda (Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium); Abbottabad v PIA (Abbottabad Cricket Stadium); Islamabad v ZTBL (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); Faisalabad v State Bank (Sports Stadium, Sargodha).
Nov 12-15: Karachi Blues v National Bank (National Stadium, Karachi); Sialkot v PIA (Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot); Rawalpindi (Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium); Abbottabad v ZTBL (Abbottabad Cricket Stadium); Islamabad v Wapda (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); Faisalabad v Habib Bank (Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad).
Nov 18-21: Sialkot v Karachi Blues (Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot); Islamabad v Rawalpindi (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); Abbottabad v Faisalabad (Gohati Cricket Stadium, Swabi); Habib Bank v ZTBL (Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium); National Bank v State Bank (Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad); PIA v Wapda (Marghazar Cricket Ground, Islamabad).
Nov 24-27: Faisalabad v Karachi Blues (Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad); Rawalpindi v Sialkot (Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium); Abbottabad v Islamabad (Abbottabad Cricket Stadium); Habib Bank v State Bank (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); National Bank v PIA (Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot); Wapda v ZTBL (National Cricket Ground, Islamabad).
Nov 30-Dec 3: Karachi Blues v Abbottabad (National Stadium, Karachi); Islamabad v Sialkot (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); Faisalabad v Rawalpindi (Sports Ground, Sargodha); Habib Bank v National Bank (Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad); State Bank v Wapda (Marghazar Cricket Ground, Islamabad); PIA v ZTBL (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore).
Dec 8-11: Karachi Blues v Rawalpindi (National Stadium, Karachi); Abbottabad v Sialkot (Abbottabad Cricket Stadium); Islamabad v Faisalabad (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); Habib Bank v Wapda (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore); National Bank v ZTBL (LCCA Ground, Lahore); PIA v State Bank (National Cricket Ground, Islamabad).
Dec 14-17: Karachi Blues v Islamabad (National Stadium, Karachi); Sialkot v Faisalabad (Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot); Rawalpindi
v Abbottabad (Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium); Habib Bank v PIA (LCCA Ground, Lahore); National Bank v Wapda (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore); State Bank v ZTBL (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad).
Dec 20-24: Final (venue to be decided).
Division II:
Oct 6-9: United Bank v Karachi Whites (UBL Sports Complex, Karachi); Lahore Ravi v Lahore Shalimar (LCCA Ground, Lahore); Hyderabad v Quetta (Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad); Peshawar v Multan (Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar); KRL v SNGPL (KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi).
Oct 12-15: Karachi Whites v Quetta (NBP Sports Complex, Karachi); Hyderabad v United Bank (Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad); Lahore Shalimar v KRL (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore); Peshawar v Lahore Ravi (Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar); Multan v SNGPL (Multan Cricket Stadium).
Oct 18-21: Karachi Whites v SNGPL (NBP Sports Complex, Karachi); Lahore Shalimar v Peshawar (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore); Lahore Ravi v United Bank (LCCA Ground, Lahore); Hyderabad v KRL (Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad); Multan v Quetta (Multan Cricket Stadium).
Oct 24-27: Karachi Whites v KRL (NBP Sports Complex, Karachi); Peshawar v United Bank ((Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar); Hyderabad v SNGPL (Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad); Lahore Shalimar v Quetta (LCCA Ground, Lahore); Lahore Ravi v Multan (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore).
Oct 30-Nov 2: Hyderabad v Karachi Whites (Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad); Lahore Shalimar v United Bank (LCCA Ground, Lahore); Lahore Ravi v Quetta (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore); Peshawar v SNGPL (Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar); Multan v KRL (Multan Cricket Stadium).
Nov 12-15: Karachi Whites v Multan (NBP Sports Complex, Karachi); Lahore Shalimar v Hyderabad (LCCA Ground, Lahore); Lahore Ravi v SNGPL (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore); Peshawar v KRL (Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar); Quetta v United Bank (National Cricket Ground, Islamabad).
Nov 18-21: Lahore Ravi v Karachi Whites (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore); Lahore Shalimar v SNGPL (LCCA Ground, Lahore); Hyderabad v Peshawar (Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad); KRL v Quetta (KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi); Multan v United Bank (Multan Cricket Stadium).
Nov 24-27: Karachi Whites v Peshawar (National Stadium, Karachi); Hyderabad v Lahore Ravi (Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad); Quetta v SNGPL (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore); KRL v United Bank (LCCA Ground, Lahore); Multan v Lahore Shalimar (Multan Cricket Stadium).
Nov 30:Dec 3: Karachi Whites v Lahore Shalimar (NBP Sports Complex, Karachi); Multan v Hyderabad (Dring Stadium, Bahawalpur); Lahore Ravi v KRL (LCCA Ground, Lahore); SNGPL v United Bank (Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot); Peshawar v Quetta (Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar).
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