Quaid-e-Azam Trophy crucial last round begins today

KARACHI: The crucial last round of the Super Eight stage of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2017-18 will begin here and Hyderabad simultaneously on Friday (today) which will decide the finalists of the country’s premier domestic event.

Defending champions WAPDA, who defeated United Bank Limited (UBL) in their last Group II game here at the NBP Sports Complex early this week, need only to avoid an innings defeat at the hands of Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) here at the State Bank of Pakistan Ground. The pitch of the venue has proved lethal so far in this important phase of the competitions.

If they averted an innings defeat they would qualify for the final which will be held from December 21.WAPDA are in great form and the way they beat UBL in their last game despite setting up a low target for the bankers shows that it will be difficult for SSGC to stop them.

WAPDA have 16 points while SSGC and UBL have six each. As the pitch may pose trouble for the batsmen, Test-discard Mohammad Asif and left-arm pacer Waqas Maqsood, who took nine wickets in an innings in his team’s opening game of the super eight stage against KRL at the same venue, will be key for the Lahore-based outfit.

The Group II competitions could end in a dramatic fashion if WAPDA face an innings defeat at the hands of SSGC and UBL crush KRL also with an innings margin. In that case all the three teams would be tied on 16 points. But keeping in view the performance of WAPDA so far, it looks unlikely.

An SSGC official told this correspondent the other day that they could rout WAPDA. “We have the resources and we can crush WAPDA. We have no option but to go all out,” the official said.

The UBL-KRL meeting will be held at UBL Sports Complex.The Group I is tougher and more interesting as former champions SNGPL (12 points), HBL (10 points) and Lahore Blues (9 points) are in contention for the only final berth in the group at stake.

SNGPL will meet Lahore Blues at the Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad. A huge win will be needed for both sides if they are to press for the final spot.Ahmed Shehzad-led HBL, who have so far done a glorious job, meet Lahore Whites at the NBP Sports Complex.

HBL, who had held SNGPL to a draw in their opener before beating Lahore Blues, have a great chance of a win as Lahore Whites’ interest in the event has already ended with back-to-back defeats in their previous matches.

Asif Yaqoob and Tahir Rasheed will supervise the SNGPL-Lahore Blues match, while Khalid Mehmood and Imtiaz Iqbal will supervise the game between HBL and Lahore Whites.Ahmed Shahab and Shamim Ansari will supervise the outing between UBL and KRL, while WAPDA-SSGC match will be supervised by Shozab Reza and Tariq Rasheed.