Quaid Trophy: Weather reigns over Super-Eight stage

Majority of matches delayed due to rainy conditions.

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to snub Karachi and Hyderabad as venues for the Super-Eight stage of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy could prove costly to teams vying for the final as matches were not possible on day one due to wet conditions.

The Islamabad-Rawalpindi match was not able to start due to rain while only 14-over play was possible the Lahore Ravi and Lahore Shalimar clash , in which the former made 53 for no loss at the LCCA Ground before close of play. Matches between the bottom-placed teams could not get underway for the same reason.

Constant rain and fog in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa often plays a major role in the premature end of matches; something that even the local teams have complained about in the recent past.

Nevertheless, the PCB decided to award all matches to these areas, neglecting important cities like Karachi and Hyderabad where the weather remains perfect for cricket nearly the whole year.

It was evident from the group stages that the matches played in Sindh remained uninterrupted, with results coming in the allotted four days.

On the other hand, the matches in the upper areas were affected badly by the weather and teams lost crucial playing time which put them out of contention to qualify for the Super-Eight phase.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7^th, 2013.