Pakistan International Airlines and Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited will be playing the Quaid-Azam Division 1 final at the National Stadium from December 20th to 24th.

 by Saj Sadiq

17 December, 2011

 

Pakistan International Airlines and Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited will be playing the Quaid-Azam Division 1 final at the National Stadium from December 20th to 24th. 

In a move designed to attract a large crowd the final will be a day-night game, and will be played using pink cricket balls. Coloured cricket balls was an experiment that was used also in last year's final. 

Neither team boasts any big guns in their lineups but both teams have been in consistent and good form for most of the tournament.

ZTBL boast the exciting Sharjeel Khan, Imran Nazir and Yasir Hameed in their batting armoury and will be backed up by the consistent Haris Sohail who has scored 742 runs so far this season at an average of just under 50.

The final will be a special occasion for Yasir Hameed as he comes up against the team he played for from the start of his domestic career up until last season.

The very well known and former Pakistan gloveman Zulqarnain Haider is the wicketkeeper for ZTBL and their bowling resources are led by two left arm seamers Mohammad Khalil and Sohail Tanvir. Khalil who is currently with the Pakistan squad in Bangladesh will be back in Pakistan in time for the final and may prove to be the key player for ZTBL having already taken 45 wickets at under 19 apiece if he is released early from the Pakistan squad.

Fans favourite and experienced medium pace bowler Rao Iftikhar has also been in splendid form of late and has taken 32 wickets at just over 22 and will undoubtedly present a problem for the opposition batsmen. 

Former domestic giants PIA who have had the likes of Wasim Akram, Mohammad Zahid and Moin Khan star for them in the past were beaten finalists last time around in the Quaid E Azam Trophy and they will be hoping to go one step further this time.

The Iqbal brothers Fahad and Faisal will be the cornerstone of the PIA batting line up and both have been in good form of late. Fahad averages 52 this season and Faisal just over 49. Support for the Iqbal brothers will undoubtedly come from Shoaib Khan and Kamran Sajid, as well as the current one day wicketkeeper for Pakistan, Sarfraz Ahmed.

The PIA bowling is heavily reliant upon pace bowlers Anwar Ali and Ali Imran who have between them taken 98 wickets and if conditions offer any swing or seam, then this pair of bowlers could dismantle the ZTBL batting line up.

The Quaid E Azam Trophy is Pakistan's premier domestic competition and if you are in the area then the match will undoubtedly be worth attending.