In a major overhaul, the days of parsimony when it comes to team numbers have gone out the window. 18 teams spread across 16 regions will participate in this year’s QeA; Lahore and Karachi have two teams each. Last year, only eight teams played in the tournament, while in the previous four years only six participated. Karachi Whites are the defending champions.
“The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy is the pinnacle of domestic cricket in Pakistan as it is not just a tournament but also an event that showcases the immense talent of the entire country and prepares them for the challenges of international cricket,” Abdullah Niazi , director. of national operations, said in a statement. “As always, we will continue to provide the best possible platform for players to excel and showcase their capabilities on the biggest stage of domestic cricket as they will rub shoulders with the best players in the country.
“We have previously demonstrated a successful One-Day Champions Cup and are fully committed to strengthening our national structure. The successful execution of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy remains at the core of this commitment.”
However, just a few days ago the fate of this year’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy was uncertain. Pak Gazette understands that the tournament has been delayed and the national cricket department is awaiting the president’s approval for the tournament. The QeA was tentatively scheduled to begin on October 20.
The start date of October 26 is considerably later than usual. Only two of the last 15 years have seen the tournament start after this date. The PCB opted to host the One-Day Champions Cup in September, Pakistan’s only significantly empty window until May, moving the first-class competition further into the season.
“If you want to prepare for the SENA [series in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia]you can do it during practice and during first-class cricket,” Shakeel said. “If there is first-class cricket before South Africa, we could prepare those kind of pitches there. But we must prepare the fields and the conditions series by series and depending on the opposition.”
