The 68th edition of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy is set to commence with a dramatic showdown as defending champions Sialkot will immediately face last season”s finalists, Peshawar, in the opening round on Monday, 6 October. The fixture at the Imran Khan Stadium in Peshawar promises early fireworks, reprising the tense final where Sialkot secured the title with a narrow one-wicket victory.
The premier red-ball competition will see 10 regional squads vying for domestic supremacy across four cities and five different venues. In addition to the marquee matchup in Peshawar, four other first-round matches will get underway simultaneously in Abbottabad, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi, marking the start of the 46-match championship.
In a significant boost for domestic players, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a winner”s prize of PKR 7.5 million, with the runners-up set to receive PKR 4 million. For the first time, a cash prize of PKR 25,000 will be awarded to the player of the match in every league fixture.
Further individual accolades include PKR 100,000 for the player of the final, while the tournament”s best bowler, batter, and wicket-keeper will each be awarded PKR 250,000.
The ten-team roster includes FATA, Faisalabad, Karachi Blues, and Multan, who earned their spots by qualifying from the Hanif Mohammad Trophy. They join Abbottabad, Bahawalpur, Peshawar, Sialkot, Lahore Whites, and Islamabad, who were the top-performing outfits from the previous edition.
To enhance viewership, the PCB will live-stream a number of fixtures, including the final, on its official YouTube channel. The opening round encounters between Peshawar and Sialkot, and the FATA versus Multan contest at Diamond Cricket Ground, Islamabad, are scheduled for live broadcast.
In a move aimed at nurturing young talent, a new regulation requires all participating teams to include at least one player under the age of 21 in their playing XI for every match of the first-class event.
The competition will feature several prominent cricketers, with Fakhar Zaman leading Abbottabad, Khushdil Shah captaining FATA, and Amad Butt once again at the helm for the title-holding Sialkot side. Teams will also navigate the availability of their star players, many of whom are listed on national duty, including Babar Azam (Lahore Whites), Shaheen Shah Afridi (FATA), and Saud Shakeel (Karachi Blues).
The first round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy will run from 6 to 9 October with the following fixtures: Abbottabad will host Bahawalpur at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Lahore Whites will play Islamabad at the Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi, and Faisalabad will take on Karachi Blues at Islamabad”s Marghzar Cricket Ground.