Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2019-20, schedule out

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday announced the schedule of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2019-20, considered Pakistan’s premier domestic cricket competition.

Some six teams would participate in the tournament playing 31 matches, the event is scheduled to commence from 14 September and 9 December. The teams are: Sindh, Balochistan, Southern Punjab, Central Punjab, Northern and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Quetta’s Bugti Stadium will return as a first-class venue after 11 years when it was announced as one of the nine venues for the tournament.

While Bugti Stadium will host four matches, other venues to grace the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches are:

• Abbottabad Stadium, Abbottabad - 6
• Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore – 3
• Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad – 3
• Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot - 1
• KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi – 3
• National Stadium, Karachi – 5 (including 9-13 Dec final)
• State Bank Stadium, Karachi - 1
• UBL Sports Complex, Karachi – 5

“The purpose of organising domestic cricket is to prepare domestic players for international cricket and attract youngsters and fans towards the game. We hope to deliver on both fronts with this Quaid-e-Azam Trophy,” said PCB Domestic cricket chief Haroon Rashid.

After the first four rounds, the red ball cricket will come to a halt to make window for T20 cricket. This is being done to provide the selectors with the opportunity to select in-form T20 players ahead of the crucial three-match T20I series against Australia.

For the first time in domestic cricket, the PCB has decided to implement the no-toss rule in the tournament, which will provide the visiting teams with an option of bowling first. “This will act as a deterrent for the home sides from doctoring the pitches in their favour and compel them to prepare pitches that provide the right balance between bat and ball for four days,” stated the PCB.