Summary
- The 69th edition will feature eight teams in the Gold tier and 12 sides in the Silver competition.
- The Silver tier will serve as a pathway for teams seeking promotion to the Gold competition next season.
- With promotion to the Gold tier at stake, the Silver competition will also offer teams an important opportunity to strengthen their position in Pakistan’s domestic first-class structure.
Pakistan’s premier first-class cricket tournament, the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, will begin on Tuesday, November 3, with 20 teams competing across Gold and Silver tiers.
The 69th edition will feature eight teams in the Gold tier and 12 sides in the Silver competition. Matches will be staged across several venues in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Abbottabad, Karachi, Multan and Bahawalpur.
Defending champions Karachi Blues will return to defend their title against seven other teams. Faisalabad, FATA, Lahore Whites, Islamabad, Peshawar Blues, Multan and Sialkot Blues will also compete in the Gold tier.
The Gold competition will run until December 12, with the top two teams qualifying for a five-day final scheduled from December 15 to 19.
The Silver tier will serve as a pathway for teams seeking promotion to the Gold competition next season. Its 12 participating sides have been divided into two groups of six.
Group A comprises Lahore Blues, Rawalpindi, Larkana, Quetta, Bahawalpur and Peshawar Whites. Group B features Karachi Whites, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Hyderabad, Dera Murad Jamali, Abbottabad and Sialkot Whites.
Group A matches will be played at KCCA Stadium, SBP and UBL Sports Complex in Karachi. Group B fixtures will take place at Multan Cricket Stadium, Sports Complex Rahim Yar Khan and Dring Stadium in Bahawalpur.
The Silver group stage will continue until November 30. The final between the two group winners is scheduled for December 3 to 7.
A total of 29 first-class matches will be played in the Gold tier, while the Silver competition will feature 31 matches.
Several prominent Pakistan internationals will feature in this year’s competition, adding considerable experience and quality to the tournament.
Test captain Babar Azam will represent Lahore Whites in the opening round. His team will face FATA, led by Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, at the Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad.
Other notable players expected to feature include Saud Shakeel, Saim Ayub, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan, Sahibzada Farhan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Abdullah Shafique and Hasan Ali.
Karachi Blues will be led by Saud Shakeel, while Mohammad Rizwan will captain Peshawar Blues. Abdullah Shafique will lead Sialkot Blues, and Imam-ul-Haq will take charge of Multan.
Lahore Whites will be captained by Aamir Jamal, while FATA will be led by Shaheen Shah Afridi. Faisalabad’s leadership duties will rest with Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Shamyl Hussain will captain Islamabad.
The tournament will provide emerging domestic players with an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities alongside established international stars.
Teams will operate with revolving squads throughout the competition. Each side will have 15 travelling players and can also select players from its reserve lists or national-duty pool.
With promotion to the Gold tier at stake, the Silver competition will also offer teams an important opportunity to strengthen their position in Pakistan’s domestic first-class structure.
The tournament is expected to play an important role in identifying emerging talent and providing established players with valuable red-ball cricket ahead of Pakistan’s future international commitments.
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