HBL, SNGPL QAT final from today

KARACHI: Defending champions Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) will take on former winners Habib Bank Limited (HBL) in the five-day final of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy (QAT) 2018-19 which begins here at UBL Sports Complex on Tuesday (today).

Both sides will not be able to get the assistance of those players who either are associated with the Pakistan team, Pakistan A squad and Pakistan emerging side which is set to feature in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Emerging Teams Asia Cup to be jointly hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka this week.

Habib Bank coach Saleem Jaffar hoped his team would put in their best in the final. “We have got a balanced combination. The players’ morale is high and I am confident the players will live up to the expectations,” Saleem told ‘The News’ after his team’s net practice on Monday. “Our batsman Abid Ali has also come and Faheem Ashraf will also be available. Agha Salman has also recovered from injury and is available for the final,” said Saleem, also a former left-arm Test pacer.

When asked whether long gap between the Super Eight stage and final would have broken the momentum Saleem said definitely it would be the case.“Yes, when you play the final after a long gap the momentum definitely breaks.

But around two-week gap has also helped the injured players in particular as they got ample time for recovery. The players also had been exhausted due to long season which had started early,” Saleem said. The role of skipper Imran Farhat, M Waqas, Rameez Aziz and Umar Akmal will be vital for HBL who also this season won the Quaid-i-Azam Cup One-day.

Discarded international Test pacer Umar Gul, Khurram Shehzad and Test spinner Abdul Rehman would be looking to play a crucial role with the leather for the bankers.SNGPL, who last year beat Wapda in the final to reclaim the crown, would be looking forward for a solid contribution with the bat from Test batsman Iftikhar Ahmed, skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, highly experienced left-handed batsman Ali Waqas and Imran Butt. In bowling they will have the support of discarded international pacer Bilawal Bhatti, left-arm pacer Samiullah Niazi and M Imran.