Quaid-e-Azam Trophy starts 3 November with Gold and Silver Tiers
The 69th Quaid-e-Azam Trophy begins on 3 November, with 20 regional teams in two tiers. Babar Azam will play for Lahore Whites against Shaheen Shah Afridi's FATA in the opening round.
- The 69th Quaid-e-Azam Trophy starts on 3 November in Islamabad, Abbottabad and Rawalpindi.
- Eight teams play in the Gold Tier and 12 in the Silver Tier.
- The Gold Tier final will be played from 15 to 19 December.
The 69th edition of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan's premier first-class cricket tournament, begins on 3 November, according to Express News. The Nation Sports reported that 20 regional sides will compete in the Gold and Silver divisions.
The Gold Tier has eight teams: defending champions Karachi Blues, Faisalabad, FATA, Lahore Whites, Islamabad, Peshawar, Multan and Sialkot Blues. Their stage runs from 3 November to 12 December, and the top two teams will meet in the final from 15 to 19 December.
In the opening round, Babar Azam will represent Lahore Whites. They will play FATA, captained by Shaheen Shah Afridi, at the Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad.
This season a 12-team Silver Tier will be played alongside the Gold Tier. Silver Tier teams that perform well will get a route to the Gold Tier in the next season.
The Silver Tier teams are split into two groups. Group A has Lahore Blues, Rawalpindi, Larkana, Quetta, Bahawalpur and Peshawar Whites. Group B has Karachi Whites, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Hyderabad, Dera Murad Jamali, Abbottabad and Sialkot Whites.
Group A matches will be held at KCCA Stadium, SBP and UBL Sports Complex in Karachi. Group B matches will be held at Multan Cricket Stadium, Sports Complex Rahim Yar Khan and Dring Stadium Bahawalpur. Group matches run from 3 to 30 November, and the final between the group toppers will be played from 3 to 7 December.
The tournament has 29 first-class matches in the Gold Tier and 31 in the Silver Tier. All four Gold Tier matches in a round will be shown live on Tapmad and Tamasha, while four of the six Silver Tier matches in each round will be live streamed.
Squads can change during the tournament. Each team's travelling squad has 15 players, and reserve players can also be added.
Why it matters
Domestic first-class cricket featuring national players such as Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi is followed by fans and selectors in Pakistan, and matches will be streamed live.
