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Tuesday March 19, 2024

Battles for Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final begin today

By Our Correspondent
November 19, 2018

KARACHI: The final and most important round of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy’s Super Eight stage will begin at various venues here on Monday (today).

The round will decide the two teams that will clash in the five-day final from December 4-8.Interesting battles are on the cards in both groups, particularly in Group II.

In a Group II outing, here at the UBL Sports Complex, former winners Peshawar will lock horns with Imran Farhat-led Habib Bank Limited (HBL). Peshawar have six points, while HBL have 12.

The other match of the group is between Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) and Karachi Whitesat the Southend Club Ground. Umar Amin-led SSGCL, who also have Fawad Alam, have nine points. Karachi Whites, led by international all-rounder Anwar Ali, are yet to open their account.

If SSGC took nine points against Karachi Whites and Peshawar played a draw against HBL, then SSGC would make it to the final. If HBL beat Peshawar then the bankers would reach the final.

An SSGC official said that luck did not favour his side. “Our players have made terrific efforts in each game but they were unlucky. We are hoping for the best in the last round,” the official told this correspondent.

In Group I, Misbah-ul-Haq-led defending champions Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) will face Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) here at the SBP Ground. SNGPL, who have 19 points, need three points against KRL (9 points) to confirm their final berth.

Last season’s runners-up WAPDA, who stayed alive in the event by inflicting an innings defeat on KRL in the last round, need to defeat Lahore Blues (0 point) by an innings if they are to contest for the final spot. But their reaching the final also depends on the outcome of the SNGPL-KRL encounter.

If WAPDA secured nine points against Lahore Blues and KRL crushed SNGPL with an innings then KRL, SNGPL and WAPDA would be tied on points and the finalists would be decided on the basis of net run rate.

Karachi Whites’ opener Khurram Manzoor leads the batting chart with 886 runs. He has scored three centuries and as many fifties.He is followed by Umar Amin (SSGC, 713), Imran Farhat (HBL, 700), Adil Amin (SSGC, 618), and Israrullah (Peshawar, 617).

In the bowling department, Lahore Blues’ pacer Aizaz Cheema is at the top with 53 wickets. He is followed by Kashif Bhatti (SSGC, 41), Abdul Rehman (HBL, 38), Nauman Ali (KRL, 36), Taj Wali (Peshawar, 36) and Mohammad Irfan (Lahore Whites, 34).