Quaid-i-Azam_Trophy

Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

First-class cricket tournament in Pakistan since 1953

The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket competition in Pakistan. With few exceptions, it has been staged annually since it was first played during the 1953–54 season. Domestic cricket in Pakistan has undergone many reorganisations, with the number of teams and matches in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy changing regularly. It has been variously contested by associations[lower-alpha 1] or departments,[lower-alpha 2] or a combination of the two.[1] From 2019–20 to 2022–23 it was contested by six regional teams. For the 2023–24 season it was expanded to eight regional teams.[2]

Quick Facts Countries, Administrator ...

History

Named after Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, who was known as "Quaid-e-Azam" (Great Leader), the trophy was introduced in the 1953–54 season to help the selectors pick the squad for Pakistan's Test tour of England in 1954.[3] Five regional and two departmental teams competed in the first competition: Bahawalpur, Punjab, Karachi, North-West Frontier Province, Sindh, Combined Services and Pakistan Railways.

The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy has been contested by a variety of teams representing regional cricket associations and departments. The departmental teams were run by companies, institutions and government departments, and offered employment for their players. In most seasons up to 2019 a mixture of the two competed together, but on many occasions the competition has been contested exclusively by regional or departmental teams. Due to their strength in depth, several regional associations have entered multiple teams, starting in 1956–57 when Karachi, Punjab and East Pakistan each had two teams.[4][5] The competition's format has seldom remained unchanged from one season to the next. It was a knockout tournament for the first two seasons, and again in 1959–60, from 1963–64 to 1968–69, and from 1970–71 to 1978–79. At other times it has been contested in one or more round robin groups with another group stage, knockout or single final match between the top sides in each group, and as a two division league system with a knockout and/or final and promotion and relegation. Even when the system remained constant, the composition of teams from the regions and departments often changed.[4][5] Karachi teams have won the trophy 20 times, the most by any team.

Ahead of the 2019–20 season the Pakistan Cricket Board announced a new structure which removed the traditional regions and departments, with six newly formed regional teams contesting the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.[4] In January 2023, the Pakistan Cricket Board, adverting to "the wrong policies of the past four seasons", announced that the PCB constitution had been changed. Pakistan domestic cricket would revert to what the PCB called its "tried, tested and winning cricket model and structure".[6] In August 2023 it was announced that eight regional teams would compete in the 2023–24 competition: Faisalabad, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Karachi Whites, Lahore Blues, Lahore Whites, Multan, Peshawar and Rawalpindi.[2]

Teams

Details of each team are set out below.

More information Team name, Home ground/s ...

Points system

Points are awarded at the conclusion of each match during the season.
Match Points:

  • Outright Win: 16
  • Draw: 5
  • Tied: 8
  • Abandoned: 5

Bonus Points:

  • Winning the match after follow-on: 2
  • Win with an innings margin: 1
  • Saving the match after follow-on: 1

Batting Points for First Innings (100 overs)

  • 200 Runs: 1
  • 250 Runs: 2
  • 300 Runs: 3
  • 350 Runs: 4
  • 400 Runs: 5

Bowling Points for First Innings (100 overs)
A: Over-Based Points System

  • 3 Wickets: 1
  • 6 Wickets: 2
  • 8 Wickets: 3.

B: All-Out Bonus Points

  • 200 or Less: 3
  • 250 or Less: 2
  • 300 or Less: 1

Winners and competition details

More information Season, Winning team(s) ...

Multiple winners

Karachi Blues have had the most successes, winning the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy nine times. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) are next with seven wins, followed by Karachi, Karachi Whites, and National Bank with five each. United Bank and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) have four wins each; Habib Bank and Lahore have three; Bahawalpur, Peshawar, Railways, and Sialkot have two outright wins; while Central Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have two including one shared title after they tied the 2020–21 final.

Records

Some team and individual records in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy are listed in the table below:

More information Record, Score/figures ...
† – This was a world record partnership for the second wicket in first-class cricket.

Broadcasters

More information Territory, Years ...

See also

Notes

  1. Cricket associations representing regions, provinces, districts or cities.
  2. Institutions, corporations or government departments.
  3. "Total matches" includes matches scheduled but not played.
  4. Central Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa shared the title after the final resulted in a tie.

References

  1. [1]
    Balachandran, Kanishkaa (5 October 2006). "A brief history... Quaid-E-Azam Trophy". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  2. [2]
    Rasool, Danyal (11 August 2023). "Second first-class competition added to Pakistan's domestic calendar". Cricinfo. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  3. [3]
    Kazi, Abid Ali (24 December 2015). "History of First Class Cricket |".
  4. [4]
    "Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, the jewel in Pakistan domestic cricket's crown". Pakistan Cricket Board. 10 January 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  5. [5]
    Rasool, Danyal (13 July 2017). "The QeA's annual tinkering: How the tournament has changed". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  6. [6]
    Saleem, Muhammad (4 January 2023). "PCB restores all departmental, district and zonal cricket bodies". Business Recorder. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  7. [7]
    "Records | First-class matches | Team records | Highest innings totals | ESPNcricinfo.com".
  8. [8]
    "First-Class Lowest Team Totals in Pakistan". Pakistan Cricket Board. Archived from the original on 4 September 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  9. [9]
    "Domestic Cricketer of the Year Kamran Ghulam thrilled to be part of Pakistan squad". Cricket World. 18 January 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  10. [10]
    "First-Class Most Runs in a Match in Pakistan". Pakistan Cricket Board. Archived from the original on 4 September 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  11. [11]
    "Records | First-class matches | Batting records | Most runs in an innings | ESPNcricinfo.com".
  12. [12]
    "First-Class Highest Individual Innings in Pakistan". Pakistan Cricket Board. Archived from the original on 4 September 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  13. [13]
    "Records | First-class matches | Partnership records | Highest partnerships for any wicket | ESPNcricinfo.com".
  14. [14]
    "Records | First-class matches | Bowling records | Best figures in an innings | ESPNcricinfo.com".
  15. [15]
    "Saad Altaf sets Pakistan record with 16 for 141". ESPN Cricinfo. 3 November 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  16. [16]
    "First-Class Best Bowling in a Match in Pakistan". Pakistan Cricket Board. Archived from the original on 4 September 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  17. [17]
    "Records | First-class matches | Wicketkeeping records | Most dismissals in a match | ESPNcricinfo.com".
  18. [18]
    "Records | First-class matches | Fielding records | Most catches in a match | ESPNcricinfo.com".

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