Runs galore at SBP stadium as Central Punjab secure vital points  SB News Karachi, 3 December 2019:The table-topper, with 120 points before the last round, Central Punjab continued to pile up runs on the second day of the Quaid-e-Azam trophy fixture against Southern Punjab to consolidate their birth in the final match of the four-day first class tournament. Four of Central Punjab batsmen scored centuries to narrate the hard labour for South Punjab's bowlers and fielders. Central Punjab resumed their innings on the second day, at the State Bank stadium, from 339 for four and overnight batsman Kamran Akmal marched on to his 62nd first-class half century. The 245-match veteran couldn't last long and fell prey to Zia-ul-Haq on 68 with nine fours. At the lunch break, Central Punjab had accumulated 452 runs without further damage. The second session saw another ton for Central Punjab when Usman Salahuddin raised the bat for his 23rd first-class century. Central Punjab, in 110 overs, scored 421 runs for the loss of five wickets to bag five batting points while the bowling side, Southern Punjab, could only siphon a solitary bowling point. The 29-year old right hander, Usman Salahuddin was bowled by Salman Ali Agha on 114 in the 133rd over of the innings, however Mohammad Saad carried the marathon innings forward to reach his personal three-figure milestone in the third session of the day. Zafar Gohar and Bilal Asif couldn't cash in on the run flow and perished to Salman Agha on 19 and 16 respectively. Central Punjab, at last, declared their innings after 170 overs on 597/9, which is also the highest innings tally of the season. Mohammad Saad stood unbeaten with 105 runs, studded with six fours and two maximums. Salman Ali Agha topped the bowling chart with three while Rahat Ali, Zia-ul-Haq and Zulfiqar Babar bagged two wickets each. After the tiring day, in the field, Southern Punjab got an early blow in the form of prolific Sami Aslam who was picked up by Ehsan Adil for only three. Umar Siddiq (10) and Zeeshan Ashraf (7) saw off the day to drag Southern Punjab to 23/1 in nine overs. The Adnan Akmal-led outfit are still trailing by 574 runs. Scores in brief: Central Punjab 597-9 declared, 170 overs (Abdullah Shafiq 133, Usman Salahuddin 114, Mohammad Saad 105 not out, Ahmed Shehzad 100; Salman Ali Agha 3-85, Rahat Ali 2-104, Zia-ul-Haq 2-135, Zulfiqar Babar 2-151) Southern Punjab 23-1, nine overs

Waqas takes five wickets as Northern take control against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa SB News  Karachi, 3 December 2019:Northern strengthened their position against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on day-two of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy first-class 10th round game being played at the UBL Sports Complex in Karachi on Tuesday. After amassing 411 runs in their first innings, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were left reeling at 156 for six as Northern pace man Waqas Ahmed took five wickets to give his team the upper hand. Resuming at the overnight score of 341 for five, Northern used the long handle effectively to reach the 400-run mark inside 110 overs which ensured the accumulation of full five batting points. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa collected two bowling points by taking eight wickets. Northern declared shortly after reaching the 400-run mark, Sarmad Bhatti who resumed at 70 not out, posted the third century of his first-class career. The left-hander was dismissed for 109 runs; he hit 12 fours and two sixes in his 201-ball innings. Sohail Tanvir fell for a 48-ball 26, Northern captain Nauman Ali declared the innings with Sohail’s dismissal in the 107th over of the innings. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa off-spinner Sajid Khan took four wickets for 121 runs. The game was turned on its head as Waqas took five wickets in the post-tea session to give his side the initiative in the all-important tie, a win for Northern will guarantee them a place in the 27-31 December tournament final while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa need to draw the game to edge past Northern and secure a final spot along with Central Punjab. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were seemingly placed at a position of comfort at 114 for one when Ashfaq Ahmed was dismissed for 29, Ashfaq became Waqas’ first victim. The right-armer dismantled the middle-order as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were reduced to 136 for six, in a probing spell, Waqas  dismissed Fakhar Zaman (66 off 131 balls, 11 fours) Adil Amin (1), Zohaib Khan (6) and Israrullah (14).  Scores in brief: Northern 411 for 8, 106.4 overs (Sarmad Bhatti 109, Hammad Azam 76, Faizan Riaz 63, Zeeshan Malik 61; Sajid Khan 4-121, Usman Khan Shinwari 2-71) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 156 for 6, 60 overs (Fakhar Zaman 66, Ashfaq Ahmed 29; Waqas Ahmed 5-51)

  Balochistan go on run spree against Sindh  SB News Karachi, 3 December 2019:All-rounder Amad Butt scored a century to put Balochistan in a strong position against Sindh on day two of the four-day tenth round first class Quaid-a-Azam Trophy match at the National Stadium on Tuesday.  Butt joined Imran Farhat (137) and Akbar-ur-Rehman (122) as the third centurion in the Balochistan innings which closed at 471 for nine declared in 150.2 overs.  Sindh has responded with 71 for one in 27 overs when stumps were called for the day with Khurram Manzoor batting on 40 and Saud Shakeel on 30 as the two overcame the early loss of opener, Omair Bin Yousuf (one) to put on an undefeated 64 runs.  Manzoor had hit five fours in his undefeated innings.  Earlier Balochistan resuming on 271 for two lost their overnight centurions, Farhat and Akbar one after the other.  At 271, Farhat fell to the bowling of Mir Hamza while Akbar was picked up by Sohail Khan at the total of 276 runs.  Akbar’s 122 lasted for 270 balls with 14 fours while left-hander, Farhat’s 137 came from 263 balls laced with 18 fours.  Hamza also picked up Bismillah Khan (10) at the total of 300 runs to sense they could bowl out Balochistan before lunch.  But Amad Butt who played a free flowing knock teamed up with Asif Zakir (53 off 105 balls) for a sixth-wicket partnership of 107 runs in quick time as he hit a total of 12 fours and one six in his 156 ball innings.  Butt had reached his century from 144 balls with 12 fours and one six.  Left arm pacer, Mir Hamza playing after a break due to an injury was the best bowler for Sindh finishing with four for 98 while Sohail took three for 75 runs.  Butt who bowled the pivotal final over against the Indian emerging team in the recent Emerging Asia Cup to give his team victory was in top form with the bat and underlined his growing stature as an all-rounder.  Both the teams are playing the match for the fifth and sixth positions on the points table when the round matches end on Thursday as the top four teams, Central Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Northern Punjab and Southern Punjab are all in the run to play the final.  Scores in brief:  Balochistan 471-9 declared, 150.2 overs (Imran Farhat 137, Akbar-ur-Rehman 122, Amad Butt 106, Asif Zakir 53; Mir Hamza 4-98, Sohail Khan 3-75) Sindh 71-1, 27 overs (Khurram Manzoor 40 not out, Saud Shakeel 30 not out)

PCB-Pepsi National U16 three-day tournament, third round matches begins Abdullah Asjad Islamabad,3December, 2019:Northern U16 v Balochistan U16, Shalimar Cricket Ground,IslamabadLeft-arm spinner Mohammad Hasnain’s five wickets helped Northern U16 dismiss Balochistan U16 for 129 runs in 47 overs on day-one of the PCB-Pepsi National U16 three-day match at the Shalimar Cricket Ground, Islamabad on Tuesday.  In reply, at stumps, Northern were 114 for three in 41 overs.  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U16 v Sindh U16, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad  At Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, after opting to bat first Sindh were bowled out for 163 in 67.1 overs against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U16 courtesy six wickets from left-arm spinner Mohammad Irfan.  In return, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were 103 for two in 28 overs when stumps were drawn.  Scores in brief:  Northern U16 v Balochistan U16, Shalimar Cricket Ground, Islamabad  Balochistan 129 all out, 47 overs (Khalid Khan 35; Mohammad Hasnain 5-35)  Northern 114-3, 41 overs (Shamyl Hussain 69 not out)  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U16 v Sindh U16, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad  Sindh 163 all out, 67.1 overs (Syed Taha Shah 36; Mohammad Irfan 6-32)  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 103-2, 28 overs

Shehzad, debutant Shafiq put Central Punjab in command  Abdullah Asjad Islamabad, December 2 ,2019:A thumping 179-run stand between captain Ahmed Shehzad and debutant Abdullah Shafiq has put Central Punjab in a formidable position, after an early loss, on the opening day of the last round of Quaid-e-Azam trophy encounter against Southern Punjab. Central Punjab, elected to bat after winning the toss against Southern Punjab in the decisive fixture of the four-day first-class tournament at the State Bank stadium. The table-topper, with 120 points, got an early blow when Zia-ul-Haq trapped Salman Butt (7) LBW on 24, however captain Ahmed Shehzad and Abdullah Shafiq shielded Central Punjab from the onslaught, scoring half century each before the lunch interval.  The duo continued their flow in the second session as well, however Ahmed Shehzad perished soon after stroking his 13th first-class century. Rahat Ali came into his own in the 50th over to dismiss Ahmed Shehzad on 100 to end the 179-run stand between Ahmed and Abdullah for the second wicket. Ahmed's innings was stitched with 11 fours. Rahat, on the very next ball, sent Umar Akmal packing on a duck. Abdullah Shafiq consolidated with Usman Salahuddin, scoring his maiden first-class century however got out on 133 off 209 deliveries with 16 fours and a six. Experienced Kamran Akmal joined Usman Salahuddin at the twilight of the day to plug the wickets flow and escort Central Punjab to 334 for four when stumps were drawn. Usman Salahuddin (53) and Kamran Akmal (30) have knitted an unbeaten 51-run stand before the end of the day to fetch three batting points for Central Punjab so far. With four wickets in the bag, to date, Southern Punjab have also had three bowling points to their overall tally of 102. Before the commencement of the tenth round, Central Punjab were on top of the table with an aggregate of 120, while Southern Punjab were on fourth pedestal with 102 points. Scores in brief:  Central Punjab 339-4, 91 overs (Abdullah Shafiq 133, Ahmed Shehzad 100, Usman Salahuddin 53 not out; Rahat Ali 2-65, Zia-ul-Haq 1-82, Zulfiqar Babar 1-91) v Southern Punjab  

PCB-Pepsi National U16 three-day tournament, Ali and Wahaj guide Sindh to victory  Abdullah Asjad                                                   Islamabad,{December1,2019}:Half-centuries from Ali Hasan and Wahaj Riaz guided Sindh to a three-wicket win over Southern Punjab on day-three of the PCB-Pepsi National U16 three-day match at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad on Sunday. Resuming their second innings on 156 for six in 72 overs, Southern Punjab were dismissed for 202 in 95.4 overs. Chasing 179 to win, Sindh had lost five wickets for 67 runs, before Ali Hasan (61 off 169 balls) and Wahaj Riaz (50 not out off 114 balls) got together and contributed a match-winning 89 runs partnership for the sixth wicket. Sindh chased down the target in 67.1 overs for the loss of seven wickets. For Southern Punjab, left-arm spinners Arafat Ahmed and Bilal Ahmed grabbed three wickets apiece. Scores in brief: Southern Punjab U16 v Sindh U16, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Southern Punjab 116 all out, 48.4 overs (Muhammad Ammar 48, Alamzaib Khan 21; Aaliyan Mehmood 5-60, Mohammad Sikander 3-22) and 202 all out, 95.4 overs (Mohammad Shehzad 40; Aaliyan Mehmood 3-45, Mohammad Sikander 2-54, Wahaj Riaz 2-15) Sindh 140 all out, 57.3 overs (Wahaj Riaz 29 not out; Bilal Ahmed 3-16, Mohammad Bilal 3-6, Mohammad Shehzad 3-41) and 180-7, 67.1 overs (Ali Hasan 61, Wahaj Riaz 50 not out; Arafat Ahmed 3-23, Bilal Ahmed 3-58) Result: Sindh U16 win by three wickets

HBL PSL 2020: Complete list of players retained and released by the six sides Abdullah Asjad Islamabad, {December 1,2019}:Almost all the key members of the Pakistan T20I cricket team have been retained by their respective franchisees for the HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 prior to the Player Draft 2019, which will take place on 6 December. Pakistan’s T20I captain and world’s No.1 ranked batsman Babar Azam heads the retention list for Karachi Kings. He is joined by fast bowler Mohammad Amir, middle-order batsman Iftikhar Ahmed and all-rounder Imad Wasim.  Reigning champions Quetta Gladiators have kept faith in Sarfaraz Ahmed along with Mohammad Hasnain. The Gladiators have also withheld Shane Watson, player of HBL PSL 2019, besides Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Nawaz and Naseem Shah.  Islamabad United, champions in 2016 and 2018, have retained leg-spin all-rounder Shadab Khan, Asif Ali and Musa Khan along with New Zealand’s Luke Ronchi, player of HBL PSL 2018.  Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez and Shaheen Afridi will once again be in Lahore Qalandars’ colours along with South Africa’s David Wiese, Haris Rauf, Sohail Akhtar and Salman Butt.  Shahid Afridi has been retained by Multan Sultans, while their current Pakistan T20I player is Mohammad Irfan. The side has also retained England’s James Vince, opener Shan Masood and fast bowler Junaid Khan.  Peshawar Zalmi, winners in 2017, have retained Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal and Umar Amin along with the Windies duo of Daren Sammy and Kieron Pollard.  Some of the most prominent names to be released are:  Alex Hales, Ian Bell, Mohammad Sami, Sahibzada Farhan (all Islamabad United), Colin Ingram, Mohammad Rizwan, Ravi Bopara (all Karachi Kings),  Brendan Taylor, Carlos Brathwaite, Haris Sohail, Sandeep Lamichhane, Yasir Shah (all Lahore Qalandars), Dan Christian, Hammad Azam, Joe Denly, Nicholas Pooran, Shoaib Malik (all Multan Sultans), Andre Fletcher, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Lendl Simmons, Tymal Mills (all Peshawar Zalmi) and Anwar Ali, Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Rilee Rossouw and Sohail Tanvir (all Quetta Gladiators). Complete list of players retained and released (each side was eligible to retain up to eight players): Islamabad United Players retained – Shadab Khan (Platinum), Faheem Ashraf (Diamond as Brand Ambassador), Asif Ali (Diamond), Luke Ronchi (Gold as Player Mentor), Hussain Talat (Gold), Amad Butt, Musa Khan and Rizwan Hussain (Silver) Players released - Alex Hales, Cameron Delport, Chadwick Walton, Ian Bell, Mohammad Sami, Nasir Nawaz, Philip Salt, Rumman Raees, Sahibzada Farhan, Samit Patel, Waqas Maqsood, Wayne Parnell, Zafar Gohar and Zahir Khan Karachi Kings Players retained - Babar Azam, Mohammad Amir (both Platinum), Imad Wasim (Diamond as Brand Ambassador), Iftikhar Ahmed (Diamond), Aamir Yamin (Gold), Usama Mir (Silver) and Umer Khan (Emerging) Players released - Aaron Summers, Abrar Ahmed, Ali Imran, Awais Zia, Ben Dunk, Colin Ingram, Colin Munro, Jaahid Ali, Liam Livingstone, Mohammad Rizwan, Ravi Bopara, Sikandar Raza, Sohail Khan and Usman Shinwari (transferred to Lahore Qalandars) Lahore Qalandars Players retained - Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez (both Platinum), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Diamond as Brand Ambassador), David Wiese, Usman Shinwari (Diamond, Usman transferred from Karachi Kings), Haris Rauf, Sohail Akhtar (both Gold), Salman Butt (Silver). Players released - AB de Villiers (not available in 2020), Agha Salman, Aizaz Cheema, Anton Devcich, Asela Gunaratne, Brendan Taylor, Carlos Brathwaite, Corey Anderson (not available in 2020), Gohar Ali, Hardus Viljoen, Haris Sohail, Hassan Khan, Mohammad Imran, Rahat Ali, Riki Wessels, Ryan ten Doeschate (not available in 2020), Saad Ali, Sandeep Lamichhane, Umair Masood, Yasir Shah Multan Sultans Players retained – Mohammad Irfan (Platinum), Shahid Afridi (Diamond as Player Mentor), James Vince (Gold as Brand Ambassador), Junaid Khan (Gold), Ali Shafiq, Shan Masood (both Silver) and Mohammad Ilyas (Emerging) Players released - Andre Russell (not available in 2020), Chris Green, Dan Christian, Hammad Azam, Joe Denly, Johnson Charles, Laurie Evans, M. Irfan Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Junaid, Nicholas Pooran, Numan Ali, Qais Ahmed, Shakeel Ansar, Shoaib Malik, Steve Smith (not available in 2020), Tom Moores and Umar Siddiq Peshawar Zalmi Players retained – Hasan Ali, Kieron Pollard, Wahab Riaz (all Platinum), Kamran Akmal (Diamond as Brand Ambassador), Daren Sammy (Gold as Player Mentor), Imam-ul-Haq (Gold) and Umar Amin (Silver) Players released - Andre Fletcher, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Ibtesam Sheikh, Jamal Anwar, Khalid Usman, Lendl Simmons, Liam Dawson, Misbah-ul-Haq (not available in 2020), Nabi Gul, Sameen Gul, Samiullah, Sohaib Maqsood, Tymal Mills, Umaid Asif, Waqar Salamkheil and Wayne Madsen Quetta Gladiators Players retained – Mohammad Nawaz, Sarfaraz Ahmed (both Platinum), Shane Watson (Diamond as Player Mentor), Ahmed Shehzad (Diamond), Umar Akmal (Gold as Brand Ambassador),  Mohammad Hasnain (Gold), Ahsan Ali and Naseem Shah (Silver) Players released - Anwar Ali, Danish Aziz, Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Fawad Ahmed, Ghulam Mudassar, Harry Gurney, Jalat Khan, Max Waller, Mohammad Asghar, Mohammad Azam Khan, Mohammad Irfan Jr, Rilee Rossouw, Saud Shakil and Sohail Tanvi

Usman Shinwari to represent Lahore Qalandars in HBL PSL 2020  SB News LAHORE (November 30, 2019):-Left-arm fast bowler Usman Shinwari has become the first player to be transferred for the HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 as he moves from Karachi Kings to Lahore Qalandars.  Usman was one of the players who had agreed to drop one category through the relegation request process for the event whose all 34 matches will be played in Pakistan in February/March. As per the event regulations, when a team sends in a relegation request for their local player to drop down one category, it is shared with the other teams based on the player’s consent. The other five teams can then either match the player’s original category or allow him to relegate on his existing team’s roster. Based on the teams’ expression of interests, the player’s existing team is then given time to either retain the player in his original category or release him to the team willing to match the player’s registered category. In this instance, Lahore Qalandars matched Usman Shinwari’s relegation request resulting in his transfer to the Qalandars for HBL PSL 2020. Five other players who have successfully relegated as a result of this relegation request process are: Imam-ul-Haq (Peshawar Zalmi, diamond to gold), Junaid Khan (Multan Sultans, diamond to gold), Salman Butt (Lahore Qalandars, gold to silver), Shan Masood (Multan Sultans, gold to silver) and Umar Amin (Peshawar Zalmi, gold to silver). Usman missed the inaugural 2016 event but represented Karachi Kings in the subsequent editions.

PCB-Pepsi National Under-16, Ali Asfand shines in Central Punjab U16 win  Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD (November 30, 2019):-Ali Asfand took six second innings wickets as Central Punjab U16 defeated Balochistan Under-16 by an innings and 79 runs on day-two of the PCB-Pepsi National Under-16 three-day match at the Shalimar Cricket Ground, Islamabad on Saturday. Balochistan resuming their first innings on 27 for five were bowled out for 57 in 30.3 overs. For Central Punjab, off-spinner Arham Nawab took four wickets for 10 runs in nine overs. After being asked to follow-on, Balochistan were dismissed for 132 in 51 overs. Adil Ahmed was top scorer with 32 off 64 balls.  For Central Punjab, left-arm spinner Ali Asfand took six wickets for 28 runs, and ended-up with match figures of eight for 34 runs. Arham who took four wickets in the first innings, grabbed two wickets for 40 runs in the second innings and ended-up with match figures of six for 50. Southern Punjab U16 v Sindh U16, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad At Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, Sindh were dismissed for 140 runs in 57.3 overs after resuming their first innings on the overnight score of 86 for six. For Southern Punjab, Bilal Ahmed, Mohammad Bilal and Mohammad Shehzad took three wickets apiece. Southern Punjab who were dismissed for 116 runs in their first innings, ended the second day’s play on 156 for six in 72 overs. Scores in brief: Central Punjab U16 v Balochistan U16, Shalimar Cricket Ground, Islamabad Central Punjab 268-8, 80 overs (Azan Awais 78, Rafay Rana 54 not out; Faizullah 6-107) Balochistan 57 all out, 30.3 overs overs (Ikram Ullah 25; Arham Nawab 4-10, Ali Asfand 2-6, Muneeb Wasif 2-15, Samama Riaz 2-21) and after follow-on 132 all out, 51 overs (Adil Ahmed Khan 32; Ali Asfand 6-28, Arham Nawab 2-40) Result: Central Punjab win by an innings and 79 runs Southern Punjab U16 v Sindh U16, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Southern Punjab 116 all out, 48.4 overs (Muhammad Ammar 48, Alamzaib Khan 21; Aaliyan Mehmood 5-60, Mohammad Sikander 3-22) and 156-6, 72 overs (Mohammad Shehzad 40; Aaliyan Mehmood 3-32, Mohammad Sikander 2-46) Sindh 140 all out, 57.3 overs (Wahaj Riaz 29 not out; Bilal Ahmed 3-16, Mohammad Bilal 3-6, Mohammad Shehzad 3-41)

Four sides in contention for Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (November 30, 2019):-After 27 first-class matches since the revamped Quaid-e-Azam Trophy commenced on 14 September, it has come down to the 10th and final round of the four-day tournament (starting on 2 December) that will determine which two sides will progress to the 27-31 December final at the National Stadium. With a maximum of 24 points (five batting, three bowling and 16 win) available, the top four sides are separated by 18 points, whereas Sindh and Balochistan will fight out to avoid the wooden spoon at the National Stadium in the six-team competition. Table-toppers Central Punjab will go into their last round match against fourth-placed Southern Punjab leading by 18 points. This match will be played at the State Bank Stadium in Karachi.   Second-placed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have a 13-point advantage over their third-placed opponents Northern. This match will be played at the UBL Sports Complex in Karachi, the venue that has produced results in the last two round matches. This means the top four sides – Central Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Northern and Southern Punjab – will be fighting tooth and nail to not only collect maximum points but to also keep their rivals to the minimum to ensure they remain in the hunt for the winner’s purse of PKR10million along with the prestigious silverware. The management of the four sides will have additional responsibilities from 2-5 December as they will have one eye on the proceeding at the other venue as this may potentially force changes to their game plans and strategies. So, all in all, the fans, followers and supporters of domestic cricket are up for thrilling and exciting next week in Karachi that is expected to produce some of the very best cricket. Central Punjab v Southern Punjab In the last four rounds, Central Punjab and Southern Punjab have both collected 42 points. When the two sides had met in the tournament opener at the Gaddafi Stadium, the match had ended in a high-scoring draw with Southern Punjab scoring 467 and 107-1, and Central Punjab scoring 473 in their only outing.  As points are awarded after 110 overs of the first innings of each side, both the teams pocketed 11 points apiece from this Punjab derby. Southern’s Sami Aslam had launched his first-class season with 243 and he is now the leading run-getter with 861 runs. Adnan Akmal, who scored 113 runs in the match, has 554 runs. In contrast, Central’s leading run-scorer to date is Kamran Akmal (750 runs), while Salman Butt is the tournament’s sixth most successful batsman with 662 runs.  Amongst the bowlers, Central’s Zafar Gohar is second on the overall list with 36 wickets, while his team-mate Bilal Asif is nine wickets behind with 27 wickets. For Southern, Mohammad Irfan has been the pick of the bowlers with 22 wickets, while Rahat Ali has 17 wickets.  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Northern  The two sides were involved in an exciting first-round fixture in Abbottabad when Northern escaped with a draw after being forced to follow-on. In reply to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s 526 for nine declared, which revolved around Mohammad Rizwan (176) and Ashfaq Ahmed (106), Northern were dismissed for 262 before finishing at 433 for six, thanks to centuries from Asif Ali (114) and Mohammad Nawaz (100). In the last four rounds, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have earned 66 points while Northern have gained 62 points, including wins over Sindh and Balochistan by 145 runs and eight wickets, respectively. Ashfaq Ahmed has been the mainstay of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, scoring 766 runs with four centuries and three half-centuries, while Sahibzada Farhan has contributed 548 runs with four half-centuries at an average of over 45. Faizan Riaz leads Northern’s run-scoring chart with 634 runs with two centuries and two half-centuries, while Zeeshan is the 10th and last batsman in the 600-run club with 613 runs (one century and four half-centuries). In the bowlers’ table, Nauman Ali leads the leaderboard with 46 wickets. He is followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s duo of Sajid Khan (19) and Junaid Khan (14). Sindh v Balochistan When the two sides met in their first-round match, Sindh scored 473 for five declared and Balochistan replied with 355 for nine. However, their campaigns failed to take off as they remain the only sides to not win a match in the tournament to date. In the process, Sindh lost twice, while Balochistan ended up on the losing side thrice. However, Balochistan’s Imran Butt will be one of the players to watch-out for in this match. The 23-year-old Lahore batsman is sitting on 830 runs and currently occupying number two spot on the tournament’s batting list. On the opposite side is Fawad Alam, who is the fifth leading scorer in the tournament with 665 runs (three centuries and two half-centuries). Amongst the bowlers, Balochistan’s Mohammad Asghar is fourth on the most successful bowlers list with 26 wickets, while Sindh’s Tabish Khan is one wicket behind with 25. Tenth round fixtures: Central Punjab v Southern Punjab – State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Northern – UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Sindh v Balochistan – National Stadium, Karachi