Quaid-e-Azam Trophy enters second round

Total of eight four-day fixtures to start from Tuesday

KARACHI: The second round of Pakistan’s premier first-class tournament, the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, is set to begin from Tuesday with winners from the first round to take on the losing teams.

Wapda, who won their match by 120 runs against Lahore Blues, will take on Faisalabad as the latter lost to NBP by six wickets in the first round.

NBP will face Lahore in the second round as the Blues search for a victory in the KRL Stadium in Rawalpindi. NBP will be looking to Raza Hasan, who retraced after a two-year ban, to play a key role in the match.

In the other matches of Pool A, SSGC, who beat Islamabad by 360 runs in the first round at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, will face Peshawar, who lost their match against SNGPL in a low-scoring encounter by 154 runs.

SNGPL, who boast the services of leg-spinner Shadab Khan and all-rounder Muhammad Hafeez, will take on Islamabad at Diamond Ground, Islamabad. Islamabad will be looking for inspiration from all-rounder Imad Wasim.

In the Pool B matches, first round winners HBL, who beat FATA by 335 runs courtesy the likes of Ahmed Shehzad and Imamul Haq, will take on Rawalpindi at the latter’s home ground. Pindi were also the winners of their first round encounter where they downed KRL.

FATA, who will be looking to benefit from the presence of right-handed opener Yasir Hameed and a good pace attack, are now pitted against KRL at Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot. Meanwhile, KRL will be hoping Shaheen Afridi produces another splendid bowling performance after bagging 11 wicket on his debut.

The Lahore Whites team, who won their first match against PTV by 273 runs, will be hosting UBL at LCCA ground. UBL who also won their first round match against Karachi Whites at their home ground UBL Stadium. UBL seem to be one of the strongest outfits in the recent tournament with Hammad Azam, Rumman Raees, Sohail Khan and Muhammad Nawaz in their line-up.

In the last facture of Pool B, losing sides PTV and Karachi Whites will be facing each other at the NBP Stadium in Karachi. PTV, with the services of Tabish Khan, last year’s second top wicket-taker, will try to bag a win against Whites, who benefit from the services of batsman Faisal Iqbal and pacer Muhammad Sami.