Sports Bulletin

Special Report LAHORE (November 1, 2021):-Teenager Mohammad Huraira finished the second round of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 with an excellent maiden first-class century as the match between his side, Northern, and Central Punjab ended in a draw at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. The 19-year-old batter struck 12 fours and a six, making an unbeaten 107 off 146. The right-hander from Sialkot added 89 and 110 runs with Nasir Nawaz (55 off 53) and Umar Amin (56 off 73) for the first and second wickets before the day ended with Northern, in their second innings, at 239 for two. The day had begun with Northern eyeing their first win of the season with Central Punjab trailing by 184 with a wicket in hand, but a brilliant 96-run stand for the last wicket between Bilawal Iqbal (48 not out) and Ehsan Adil (49) helped Central Punjab post 367 all out in 116.5 overs. The partnership denied Northern crucial bonus bowling points, as the Nauman Ali-captained side failed to bowl out Central Punjab in 100 overs. Central Punjab bagged eight points from this match, while Northern pocketed 11. The other two matches – played at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium and Multan Cricket Stadium – were also drawn. At the Multan Cricket Stadium, Balochistan’s Ayaz Tasawar and Bismillah Khan converted their overnight half-centuries into centuries against Southern Punjab. Ayaz and Bismillah begun the day at 65 and 56, respectively, and they went on to make 113 and 116. Ayaz smashed 14 fours in his 264-ball innings, while Bismillah dispatched 17 off the 205 balls he faced for fours. Ali Usman took two wickets before Imran Butt’s Balochistan declared at 571 for seven. Southern Punjab made 112 for two in their second innings with Tayyab Tahir, who made an excellent double-century in the first innings, top-scoring with 60 not out. Southern Punjab gathered 11 points from this match, while Balochistan bagged nine. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa added 63 runs to their overnight score before they declared innings at 503-7 on the final day of their fixture against Sindh at the Iqbal Stadium. Iftikhar Ahmed, who started the day eyeing a century, could add only one run to his overnight score as he was LBW by Sohail Khan for 82. He hit 11 fours and a six in the 148 balls he faced. Rehan Afridi, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa wicketkeeper-batter, smashed 74 off 131 (10 fours) down the order. He was dismissed by Fawad Alam, the opposition’s captain. Fawad’s left-arm orthodox bagged him two wickets – the most in the innings – for 46 runs in 12.2 overs. Sindh’s Asad Shafiq and Fawad Alam scored solid half-centuries as they made 96 and 66 before the stumps were drawn. Their resilient knocks helped Sindh stage a recovery after they were reduced to 18 for three with Sameen Gul dismissing Sharjeel Khan and one-drop Saad Khan. Sindh were 180 for five in 55 overs when stumps were drawn. Sindh bagged nine points from the match, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa added 11 more points to their tally. After the conclusion of the second round on Saturday, Northern lead the points table with 23 points. Southern Punjab are placed second with 21 points. Last season’s joint-winners Central Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are locked on 20 points with Balochistan as Central Punjab are third, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are fourth and Balochistan are fifth. Sindh, with 18 points, are at the bottom of the table. Scores in brief: Central Punjab and Northern play a draw at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore Northern 455-9dec, 132.5 overs (Faizan Riaz 213, Sarmad Bhatti 82, Rohail Nazir 54, Nasir Nawaz 46; Ehsan Adil 3-60, Zafar Gohar 3-141) and 239-2, 50.1 overs (Mohammad Huraira 107 not out, Umar Amin 56, Nasir Nawaz 55) Central Punjab 367 all out, 116.5 overs (Abid Ali 81, Hussain Talat 62, Ahmed Shehzad 58, Ehsan Adil 49, Bilawal Iqbal 48 not out; Musa Khan 4-81, Nauman Ali 2-127) Match points – Northern 11, Central Punjab 8 Southern Punjab and Balochistan play a draw at Multan Cricket Stadium Southern Punjab 457-5dec, 98.5 overs (Tayyab Tahir 221, Azam Khan 85, Imran Rafiq 81, Umar Siddiq 32, Zain Abbas 30; Junaid Khan 2-87) and 112-2, 32 overs (Tayyab Tahir 60 not out) Balochistan 571-7, 178.1 overs (Bismillah Khan 116, Ayaz Tasawar 113, Imam-ul-Haq 109, Imran Butt 95, Haris Sohail 49, Amad Butt 35; Muhammad Imran 2-102, Ali Usman 2-165) Match points – Southern Punjab 11, Balochistan 9 Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa play a draw at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Sindh 367 all out, 110.1 overs (Saad Khan 129, Fawad Alam 122, Sohail Khan 28, Ashiq Ali 26, Mohammad Hasan 25; Niaz Khan 5-58, Imran Khan Snr 3-58) and 180-5, 55 overs (Asad Shafiq 96, Fawad Alam 66 not out) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 503-7, 144.2 overs (Israrullah 160, Sahibzada Farhan 100, Iftikhar Ahmed 82,  Rehan Afridi 74 not out, Adil Amin 25; Fawad Alam 2-46) Match points – Sindh 9, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 11

Special Report LAHORE (October 29, 2021):-Sahibzada Farhan’s maiden first-class century and Israrullah’s breezy 160 put Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 73 runs ahead of Sindh on day three of their second round fixture of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad. The pair put a solid 226 runs for the opening wicket and the partnership helped Khyber Pakhtunkhwa take their points tally from the match to six as it added four batting points. Farhan smashed 13 fours and a six as he made 100 off 198 balls. The right-handed opener had to wait 54 innings to record his first-ever century. He was duly supported by Israrullah who smoked 19 fours and three sixes from the 228 balls he faced. In the previous round, Israrullah had smashed a half-century in both innings. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were 440 for four in 127 overs with their captain Iftikhar Ahmed (81 not out) and wicketkeeper-batter Rehan Afridi (43 not out) at the crease. At the Multan Cricket Stadium, Balochistan’s Imam-ul-Haq smashed his sixth first-class ton as he scored 109 off 256 with the help of 12 fours against Southern Punjab. The left-handed batter struck a 214-run opening partnership with Imran Butt, who missed out a century by five runs when he was bowled by Mohammad Imran. Mohammad Imran also denied Haris Sohail a half-century as he got rid of the left-hander on 49. On the last day of the match, Ayaz Tasawar and wicketkeeper-batter Bismillah Khan will resume Balochistan innings at 416 for four. They have batted 136.3 overs. Ayaz is unbeaten on 65 (eight fours), while Bismillah is batting at 56 (nine fours). Balochistan bagged three batting points as they were 302 for three after 100 overs. Northern pacer Musa Khan followed-up his maiden five-fer in the last match with four for 61 to put his side ahead of Central Punjab at the Gaddafi Stadium. The right-armer accounted for Abid Ali, top run-getter with 175-ball 81, Azhar Ali (17), Mohammad Saad (29) and Saad Nasim (two). Central Punjab – who began the day on 68 for the loss of no wicket – were 271 for nine in 93.4 overs and Musa’s exploits helped Northern bag three bowling points. While Musa will be looking to bag another five-wicket haul on Saturday, Northern will be looking to bag bonus points for bowling out an opposition under 300. Earlier, both openers – Abid and Ahmed Shehzad (58) – scored half-centuries and added 110 runs for the first wicket. Hussain Talat played a solid knock in the middle-order as he made 62 off 95 (eight fours and two sixes). Scores in brief: Sindh choose to bat after winning the toss against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Sindh 367 all out, 110.1 overs (Saad Khan 129, Fawad Alam 122, Sohail Khan 28, Ashiq Ali 26, Mohammad Hasan 25; Niaz Khan 5-58, Imran Khan Snr 3-58) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 440-4, 127 overs (Israrullah 160, Sahibzada Farhan 100, Iftikhar Ahmed 81 not out, Rehan Afridi 43 not out, Adil Amin 25) Innings points – Sindh 4, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 6 Southern Punjab choose to bat after winning the toss against Balochistan at Multan Cricket Stadium Southern Punjab 457-5dec, 98.5 overs (Tayyab Tahir 221, Azam Khan 85, Imran Rafiq 81, Umar Siddiq 32, Zain Abbas 30; Junaid Khan 2-87) Balochistan 416-4, 136.3 overs (Imam-ul-Haq 109, Imran Butt 95, Ayaz Tasawar 65 not out, Bismillah Khan 56 not out; Muhammad Imran 2-74) Innings points – Southern Punjab 6, Balochistan 4 Central Punjab elected to bowl after winning the toss against Northern at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore Northern 455-9dec, 132.5 overs (Faizan Riaz 213, Sarmad Bhatti 82, Rohail Nazir 54, Nasir Nawaz 46; Ehsan Adil 3-60, Zafar Gohar 3-141) Central Punjab 271-9, 93.4 overs (Abid Ali 81, Hussain Talat 62, Ahmed Shehzad 58; Musa Khan 4-61, Nauman Ali 2-92) Innings points – Northern 6, Central Punjab 2

Special Report LAHORE (October, 27, 2021):-The second round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 started with a century scored in each of the three matches. Southern Punjab’s Tayyab Tahir recorded his maiden first-class century with an impressive 181 not out at a healthy strike rate of 80 against Balochistan at Multan Cricket Stadium on the first day. Tayyab anchored Southern Punjab to 344 for three in 81.3 overs as he smashed 19 fours and four sixes. The right-handed batter stitched partnerships worth 90 and 191 with Umar Siddiq (32 off 70) and Imran Rafiq (81 off 122). At Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium, Sindh finished the day on 260 for four, thanks to incredible 129 from Saad Khan and 94 not out from captain Fawad Alam. Sindh were reduced to 16 for three as Imran Khan Snr accounted for last match’s centurion Khurram Manzoor (eight) and Test batter Asad Shadiq (0), while Sharjeel Khan was sent packing by Sameen Gul. Saad and Fawad added 191 for the fourth wicket to rescue Sindh, before Saad, who smoked 14 fours and a six in his 195-ball stay, was dismissed by off-spinner Sajid Khan. Fawad will resume Sindh’s innings with wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Hasan. Northern’s Faizan Riaz smashed his second century of the tournament, as he was unbeaten on 146 against Central Punjab when stumps were drawn at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. Faizan, to date, has struck 15 fours off 221 balls and will be continuing an undefeated fourth wicket stand of 202 with Sarmad Bhatti, who stroked an unbeaten 81. Central Punjab had a good start to the day after their captain Azhar Ali elected to bowl as they had two Northern batters – Mohammad Huraira and Umar Amin – back in the pavilion by 4.3 overs. Huraira was dismissed LBW by Ehsan Adil and Umar was caught off Bilawal Iqbal. Nasir Nawaz, however, held an end with his 46 off 71. Scores in brief: Southern Punjab choose to bat after winning the toss against Balochistan at Multan Cricket Stadium Southern Punjab 344-3, 81.3 overs (Tayyab Tahir 181 not out, Imran Rafiq 81, Umar Siddiq 32, Zain Abbas 30) Innings points – Southern Punjab 3, Balochistan 1 Sindh choose to bat after winning the toss against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Sindh 260-4, 79.3 overs (Saad Khan 129, Fawad Alam 94 not out; Imran Khan Snr 2-37) Innings points – Sindh 2, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 1 Central Punjab elected to bowl after winning the toss against Northern at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore Northern 281-3, 80 overs (Faizan Riaz 146 not out, Sarmad Bhatti 81 not out, Nasir Nawaz 46) Innings points – Northern 2, Central Punjab 1

Sports Reporter LAHORE (October 25, 2021):-The second round of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 will begin from Wednesday in Faisalabad, Lahore and Multan. Though the first round saw all three matches end in draw, it served brilliant individual performances with as many as six batters stroking centuries and two bowlers recording five-wicket hauls. Balochistan’s Imran Butt, Central Punjab’s Abid Ali, Sindh’s Khurram Manzoor and Northern’s Faizan Riaz, Mubasir Khan and Nauman Ali were amongst the century-makers, while Northern’s Musa Khan and Balochistan’s Raza-ul-Hasan took five-wickets each. The first round proved to be special for Nauman and Musa especially as the two recorded their maiden batting and bowling milestones. Central Punjab – who shared the last year's title with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – earned maximum points from the opening round as they bagged 12 points (five draw, four batting, three bowling) from their draw against Southern Punjab at the Multan Cricket Stadium. The Azhar Ali-captained side will travel to Lahore to take on Northern at the Gaddafi Stadium. In the last season, the two teams won a match each against each other. While, Central Punjab will be hoping to make the most of their home advantage, Northern will look to implement the learnings about the conditions from the last match. The action from this match will be beamed across the globe through nine high-definition cameras on PCB’s official YouTube channel. Northern took 11 points from their first round match against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which turned out to be the second most. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, meanwhile, will travel to Faisalabad to play Fawad Alam’s Sindh at the Iqbal Stadium. Both teams have nine points. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the joint winners of the last season, have had an incredible start to the season by bagging the National T20 title. After playing out a draw at the Gaddafi Stadium, the Iftikhar Ahmed-captained team will be looking to make the most of their fixture against Sindh, against whom they enjoyed 1-0 score line in two matches in 2020-21. In the third match of the second round, Imam-ul-Haq-led Balochistan will face Southern Punjab at the Multan Cricket Stadium. Balochistan were beaten twice by Southern Punjab in the last season. Buoyed by a strong performance in Faisalabad, which saw them post 403 in the first innings and end the match with 10 points – the third most – Balochistan will look for settling scores. Mohammad Abbas' Southern Punjab have nine points.

Sports Reporter LAHORE (October 20, 2021):-Balochistan captain Imran Butt and Central Punjab opener Abid Ali made centuries in their sides’ matches against Sindh and Southern Punjab on the opening day of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22. Imran smashed 104 off 222 to record his sixth first-class century at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad. The right-hander knitted a solid 194-run stand with his fellow opener Imam-ul-Haq, who missed out on a century by three runs, as he was dismissed by Asad Shafiq after scoring 97 off 166 (10 fours and two sixes). Balochistan ended the day on 253 for the loss of four wickets. Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (32 not out) and Ayaz Tasawar (0 not out) will resume the innings tomorrow. Sindh’s Mir Hamza, Mohammad Asghar and Mohammad Hasnain were the other bowlers to take a wicket each. As Balochistan had crossed the 250-run mark, they gathered two batting points for the innings, while Sindh got one bowling point for dismissed four batters inside the first 100 overs. Abid’s unbeaten 132 was the highlight of the first day of the Punjab Derby at Multan Cricket Stadium as Central Punjab ended the day at a strong 289 for three. They gathered two batting points. Abid faced 249 balls and despatched 22 of them towards boundary. The Pakistan Test opener added 100 runs for the first wicket with Ahmed Shehzad, who made 63 off 83 (11 fours) before he was caught off Aamer Yamin after Lunch. Central Punjab captain Azhar Ali was LBW by his opposite number, Mohammad Abbas, after scoring 25 (four fours). When pacer Mohammad Ilyas dismissed Mohammad Saad (12 off 41), he handed Southern Punjab a point for helping them take three wickets. Left-hander Hussain Talat pushed the Southern Punjab bowlers on the backfoot in the latter part of the day with an unbeaten 46. He smashed eight fours. At the Gaddafi Stadium, in front of nine High-Definition cameras which are beaming live-action around the world through PCB’s official YouTube channel, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa openers Sahibzada Farhan and Israrullah and captain Iftikhar Ahmed struck half-centuries. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were provided a solid start with a 92-run opening stand. Farhan smashed seven fours and a six in his 134-ball 71, while Israr made 50 off 79 (four fours and a six). Iftikhar carried his impressive form with the bat in red-ball cricket and smashed three fours and a six as he remained unbeaten on 50 off 106. He will resume Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s innings on 240 for five from 81 overs with Khalid Usman (five not out) on Thursday. Scores in brief: Balochistan elected to bat after winning the toss against Sindh at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Balochistan 253-4, 85 overs (Imran Butt 104, Imam-ul-Haq 97, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai 32 not out) Innings points – Balochistan 2, Sindh 1 Toss uncontested, Southern Punjab elected to bowl against Central Punjab at Multan Stadium Central Punjab 289-3, 82.3 overs (Abid Ali 132 not out, Ahmed Shehzad 63, Azhar Ali 25) Innings points – Central Punjab 2, Southern Punjab 1 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa elected to bat after winning the toss against Northern at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 240-5, 81 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 71, Iftikhar Ahmed 50 not out, Israrullah 50) Innings points – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 1, Northern 1

Ali Ahmed LAHORE (October 18, 2021):-After the successful completion of the National T20, the 2021-22 season enters into next phase with the country’s premier cricket tournament – the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy – beginning from Wednesday, 20 October. Participation in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy has remained the pinnacle for domestic cricketers as the tournament has established and produced red-ball stars who have gone on to wear the golden star. Over the years, the tournament has produced riveting matches, with last year’s final also going down the wire and ending as a tie with Central Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa sharing the trophy. This year, the fans can witness action up-close as the Pakistan Cricket Board will open stands for them across all venues. The entry will be free of cost and the only requirement will be the government-issued Immunisation Certification for Covid-19. The PCB, as part of its efforts to incentivise and reward top-performing cricketers, has put PKR17million on offer with the champion side grabbing PKR10million and runner-up bagging PKR5million. The top-performers – player of the tournament, best batter, best bowler and best wicketkeeper – will pocket PKR500,000 each. The player of the final will be awarded PKR50,000. The first five rounds of the 31-match event to be played by the first XI sides of the six Cricket Associations will be staged at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium, Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium and Multan Cricket Stadium, before the tournament moves to Karachi on 24 November. In the first round, Iftikhar Ahmed-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will play Nauman Ali’s Northern at the Gaddafi Stadium, Fawad Alam’s Sindh will take on Imran Butt’s Balochistan at Iqbal Stadium and Multan Cricket Stadium will stage the Punjab Derby with Azhar Ali’s Central Punjab locking horns with Mohammad Abbas’ Southern Punjab. The last five rounds will be played at UBL Sports Complex, SBP Sports Complex and NBP Sports Complex, before the final, a five-day affair, begins at the iconic National Stadium on 25 December. The result-oriented points system introduced last year achieved the aim of inducing attacking and positive mind-set amongst the teams, and the bonus and match points will continue to be allocated based on it. In the last year’s edition, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – who won five matches, the most by any team – and Central Punjab finished the group stage at the first and second spots with 161 and 137 points. Southern Punjab finished at third with 129 points, Balochistan and Northern gathered 128 and 123 points from three wins each to end their campaigns at fourth and fifth spots and Sindh, who recorded solitary win, finished last with 87 points. Balochistan captain Imran Butt: “We have not been able to play according to expectations in the last two seasons, but there was a marked improvement in the 2020-21 season from the 2019-20 season and we plan to continue to build on it. One of the most remarkable aspects of our squad this year is that we have roped in local players from the province after their impressive performances in the CCA tournaments. Playing alongside experienced cricketers in Imam-ul-Haq, Haris Sohail, Junaid Khan and Yasir Shah will help them understand the game better and I look forward to having them in our dressing room. Central Punjab captain Azhar Ali: “The last season was outstanding for us as our team truly lived-up to the never-say-die spirit and staged what will be remembered as one of the most epic comebacks. I have full confidence that we will play our third final in a row this year and win the prestigious trophy. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain Iftikhar Ahmed: “Our team is oozing with confidence as we have been able to stretch our last year’s form to this year successfully. We have adapted our cricket to the modern-day requirements and it is paying dividends. The retention of National T20 title has given our squad a great boost and we all are eager for the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy to begin.” Northern captain Nauman Ali: “The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy is a tournament in which stars are made and it comes with a great opportunity for domestic cricketers to make an impression as it is followed all around the world. My progression to the national side has been one such example and my message to the team is to make the most of the opportunities and grab them with both hands. We have a young and dynamic squad which has the potential to turn the match on its head in any situation and I am looking forward to leading them. Sindh captain Fawad Alam: “Our last year’s journey did not go as we had planned but we have learned from that campaign. We have established first-class cricketers in our line-up and I am sure this year will be different for us. The key for success in Quaid-e-Azam Trophy has always been adaptability as the conditions, with the continuous change of weather and venue, alter and with this set of players, I am sure we will surmount all challenges. Southern Punjab captain Mohammad Abbas: “It is always good to dominate a campaign right from the start and the Punjab Derby comes up with a good opportunity to make an impression. Last year, we missed out the qualification by mere eight points, but it was a brilliant learning curve for us and since our team has grown immensely. We may have a young side, but these players have all the potential to make it big.”

Ali Ahmed LAHORE (October 15, 2021):-The managements of the six Cricket Association sides have finalised their squads for Pakistan’s premier first-class tournament, Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22, which begins at three Punjab venues from Wednesday, 20 October. Imran Butt, Azhar Ai, Iftikhar Ahmed, Nauman Ali, Fawad Alam and Mohammad Abbas will lead Balochistan, Central Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Northern, Sindh and Southern Punjab in the three-month-long tournament, in which each team will play the other twice in the 10-round group stage. The first five rounds will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore, Iqbal Stadium Faisalabad and Multan Cricket Stadium, while the last five rounds and the final will be played in Karachi with UBL Sports Complex, SBP Sports Complex and NBP Sports Complex staging the round matches. National Stadium will host the five-day final that will be played between 25 to 29 December. The 2020-21 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy edition produced some thrilling cricket with the final, which was also played at the National Stadium, turning into a historic tie between Central Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Balochistan Team: Imran Butt (c), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Akbar-ur-Rehman, Amad Butt, Ayaz Tasawar, Bismillah Khan (wk), Gohar Faiz, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Junaid Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Raza-ul-Hasan, Taj Wali, Umaid Asif, Yasir Shah (Subject to Fitness) Central Punjab Team:  Azhar Ali (c), Abid Ali, Ahmed Bashir, Ahmed Shehzad, Bilal Asif, Bilawal Iqbal, Ehsan Adil, Faheem Ashraf, Hussain Talat, Junaid Ali (WK), Mohammad Saad, Muhammad Akhlaq (wk), Saad Nasim, Saif Badar, Waqas Maqsood and Zafar Gohar. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Team: Iftikhar Ahmed (c), Aamir Khan, Adil Amin, Ashfaq Ahmed, Asif Afridi, Imran Khan Snr, Israrullah , Khalid Usman, Musadiq Ahmed, Nabi Gul, Niaz Khan, Rehan Afridi (wk), Sahibzada Farhan, Sajid Khan, Sameen Gul and Tahir Khan. Northern Team: Nauman Ali (c), Aamir Jamal, Aqib Liaqat, Ather Mehmood, Faizan Riaz, Mohammad Huraira, Mubasir Khan, Munir Riaz, Musa Khan, Nasir Nawaz, Rohail Nazir (wk), Sarmad Bhatti, Umar Amin, Umar Waheed, Usman Khan Shinwari and Waqas Ahmed. Sindh Team: Fawad Alam (c), Asad Shafiq, Ashiq Ali , Hasan Mohsin , Khuzaima Bin Tanvir, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Asghar , Mohammad Hasan (wk), Mohammad Hasnain , Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Taha, Saad Khan, Shan Masood, Sharjeel Khan , Sohail Khan and Tabish Khan. Southern Punjab Team: Mohammad Abbas (c), Aamer Yamin, Ali Usman, Azam Khan (wk), Hassan Khan, Imran Rafiq, Mohammad Ilyas , Mohammad Imran Randhawa, Mohammad Junaid, Naved Yasin, Tayyab Tahir, Umar Siddiq (wk), Waqar Hussain (wk), Yousaf Babar, Zain Abbas and Zia-ul-Haq. Quaid-e-Azam Trophy: 20-23 Oct - Balochistan v Sindh, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad; Central Punjab v Southern Punjab, Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Northern, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 27-30 Oct - Balochistan v Southern Punjab, Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Sindh, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad; Central Punjab v Northern, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 3-6 Nov - Balochistan v Central Punjab, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore; Northern v Sindh, Multan Cricket Stadium; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Southern Punjab, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad 10-13 Nov - Balochistan v Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore; Central Punjab v Sindh, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad; Northern v Southern Punjab, Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan 17-20 Nov - Northern v Balochistan, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad; Southern Punjab v Sindh, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore; Central Punjab v Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan 24-27 Nov - Sindh v Balochistan, UBL Sports Complex, Karachi; Southern Punjab v Central Punjab, SBP Sports Complex, Karachi; Northern v Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, NBP Sports Complex, Karachi 30Nov 3 Dec - Southern Punjab v Balochistan, UBL Sports Complex; Sindh v Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, SBP Sports Complex; Northern v Central Punjab, NBP Sports Complex 6-9 Dec - Central Punjab v Balochistan, NBP Sports Complex; Sindh v Northern, UBL Sports Complex; Southern Punjab v Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, SBP Sports Complex 12-15 Dec - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Balochistan, UBL Sports Complex; Sindh v Central Punjab, SBP Sports Complex; Southern Punjab v Northern, NBP Sports Complex 18-21 Dec - Balochistan v Northern, SBP Sports Complex; Sindh v Southern Punjab, NBP Sports Complex; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Central Punjab, UBL Sports Complex 25-29 Dec - Final National Stadium Karachi    

SB Report LAHORE:-Middle-order batsman Sarmad Bhatti smashed an unbeaten 171 off 218 balls as Northern posted a first innings score of 386 for seven against Sindh at the State Bank Stadium, Karachi on the first-day of the seventh-round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches on Sunday.  The left-handed Sarmad who came into bat with his team three down for 54 added 148 runs for the fourth wicket with Shoaib Ahmed Minhas (83 off 132 balls, seven fours, one six). He cut loose in the later stages, Sarmad hit a total of 11 fours and nine sixes in his innings that helped Northern post a formidable first innings score. Shehzad Azam (43 off 38 balls) added 94 runs for the seventh wicket with Sarmad before the Northern innings came to a close. Sindh in reply were 26 for no loss when stumps were drawn for the day.  The match between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Southern Punjab started late due to rain and wet outfield delays. Batting first Southern Punjab managed 127 runs for three in 39 overs when stumps were drawn for the day. Mohammad Umair scored an unbeaten 60 off 115 balls while opener Zeeshan Ashraf made 50 runs with the help of six fours and two sixes. Muhammad Ilyas took two wickets.  Meanwhile, the match between Central Punjab and Balochistan has been rescheduled and will now start from Monday at Itefaq Cricket Ground in Lahore.  Scores in brief:  Northern v Sindh, State Bank Stadium, Karachi  Northern 368-7, 83 overs (Sarmad Bhatti 171 not out, Shoaib Ahmed 83, Shehzad Azam 43; Jahid Ali 2-25) v Sindh 26-0, nine overs  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Southern Punjab, Hayatabad Sports Camp, Peshawar  Southern Punjab 127-3, 39 overs (Mohammad Umair 60 not out, Zeeshan Ashraf 50; Mohammad Ilyas 2-34) v Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

SB Report SIALKOT:-Northern maintained the upper hand on the fourth and final day as their Quaid-e-Azam Trophy tournament round-five first-class match against Southern Punjab ended in a draw at the Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot on Thursday. Resuming their first innings at the overnight score of 403 for 8, Southern Punjab managed to take the total to 453 all out, courtesy wicketkeeper batsman Adnan Akmal’s 100-ball 64 that included 10 fours. Northern (first innings 550 for six declared) managed a 97-run first innings lead. Southern Punjab who were 440 for eight after the completion of 110 overs gained full five batting points, Northern took two by taking eight wickets in the stipulated period. Noman Ali with five wickets was the best bowler for Northern, Waqas Ahmed and Shaheen Shah Afridi claimed two wickets apiece. Northern got off to a solid start in their second innings, first inning double centurion Zeeshan Malik made 59 runs while his fellow opener Haider Ali scored 79 runs. The two added 131 runs for the first wicket. Northern though lost three wickets in quick succession shortly before the tea interval; they were placed at 146 for three at tea. Besides the two openers, first inning centurion Umar Amin (4) was also dismissed before the tea interval. Left-arm-spinner Mohammad Irfan took all three wickets. In the final session of play, Northern declared their second innings at 212 for four after 57 overs of batting; stumps were drawn and the match was declared a draw with Northern’s declaration. Scores in brief: Northern 550 for 6 declared, 124.2 overs (Zeeshan Malik 216, Umar Amin 156, Faizan Riaz 83; Rahat Ali 3-97, Muhammad Abbas 2-86) and 212 for 4 declared, 57 overs (Haider Ali 79, Zeeshan Malik 59; Mohammad Irfan Jr. 3-70) Southern Punjab 453 all out, 113.5 overs (Sohaib Maqsood 111, Sami Aslam 100, Shan Masood 58; Noman Ali 5-148, Waqas Ahmed 3-59) Result: Match drawn

SB Report FAISALABAD:-The four-day first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy fifth-round fixture between Central Punjab and Sindh ended in a draw at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium. Set a target of 331, Sindh had half of their batting lineup back in the pavilion with only 68 runs on board as fast-bowler Naseem Shah continued his impressive form. After Central Punjab had declared at 273 for five in the morning session after adding 81 runs to their overnight 192 for two, the young pacer had Sindh at 17 for one, as he bowled Abid Ali for the second time in the match, when Lunch was taken. The 16-year-old right-arm pacer took two more wickets in the evening session as his wicket tally for the match went to nine for 111 runs. Sindh’s fightback was led by captain Sarfaraz Ahmed. The wicketkeeper-batsman scored a 62-ball 54 before he was dismissed by Naseem. Sarfaraz spent 75 minutes at the crease and hit seven fours. That Sindh edged out in securing a draw against the home team also had to do with their bowler Tabish Khan, who spent 48 minutes at the crease scoring only one.                      Opener Khurram Manzoor, who scored 28 runs from his 84-ball stay at the crease, was the other noticeable batsman in the innings. The right-handed batsman had cracked five fours in the 134 minutes he spent in the middle. With two wickets for 45 runs, spinner Zafar Gohar was the other bowler to have sent shivers down the Sindh’s camp as the left-arm spinner took the wickets of Asad Shafiq (eight) and Kashif Bhatti (0). Earlier, Central Punjab’s Salman Butt completed his 24th first-class century after resuming his innings on 90. The left-handed opening-batsman scored 137 runs from 206 balls, hitting 20 fours. In the sixth round of the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Central Punjab host Northern at Iqbal Stadium, while Sindh travel to Abbottabad to play Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Scores in brief: Central Punjab 313 all-out, 95.5 overs (Kamran Akmal 90, Ahmed Shehzad 60, Faheem Ashraf 52, Usman Salahuddin 38, Ehsan Adil 25; Kashif Bhatti 3-99, Mir Hamza 2-46, Sohail Khan 2-72, Tabish Khan 2-80) and 273-5, 65.5 overs (Salman Butt 137, Azhar Ali 90, Umer Akmal 24; Tabish Khan 3-65) Sindh 256 all-out, 74.4 overs (Fawad Alam 92, Saad Ali 81, Omair Bin Yousaf 33; Naseem Shah 6-78, Ehsan Adil 2-36) and 158-8, 58 overs (Sarfaraz Ahmed 54, Khurram Manzoor 28, Saad Ali 23; Naseem Shah 3-33, Zafar Gohar 2-45) Match result: Drawn