The Pakistan Cricket Board has revamped format of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy – the country’s premier first-class competition – for the third time in the last four years. The board has overhauled last season’s 26-team tournament to introduce a new structure that comprises 16 teams – eight regional and eight department sides.
Of the 16 teams, 12 – six regional and six department – will gain automatic qualification on the basis of their performance last season. The last four places will be filled through a qualifying round introduced by the PCB, which will be played between 14 teams. The top two regional and department teams will qualify for the main tournament. The qualifying round will be a non-first-class tournament in which six departmental teams will play five matches on single-league basis while eight regional teams will play three matches each.
The qualifying round was initially scheduled to start from August 1, but with as many as 60 Pakistani cricketers playing league cricket in England – where the season ends in the third week of August – the PCB decided to schedule the tournament from September 17.
“If the schedule had not been changed, either the players would have suffered considerable financial loss or the departments they represent would have borne the brunt of their absence,” Shakil Ahmed Sheikh, chairman of PCB’s cricket committee, said. “The change in schedule will allow the players to return and feature for their respective departmental teams.”
Pakistan’s domestic cricket structure has been unstable over the last decade, with revamps occurring nearly every two years. Last year, the PCB had announced a revamp of the system for a period of five years, with a review after three years. The PCB had stated last year: “To end the inconsistency, the new system has been announced for a five-year period, with a review to be conducted after three years.” It has, however, opted for a change ahead of this season.
The PCB has not announced a schedule for the first-class season but it is expected to begin from the second week of October. It is understood that each group will have a mix of department and regional teams.
Quetta Bears and Pakistan Television have been relegated from Grade 1 after finishing at the bottom of the table in the 2014-15 season. Both teams will now have to compete in the Patrons Trophy Grade2 tournament to gain promotion.
THE NEW QEA STRUCTURE:
Teams given automatic place in the tournament: Habib Bank Limited, United Bank Limited, Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited, National Bank of Pakistan, Water and Power Department and Authority, Port Qasim Authority, Islamabad Leopards, Karachi Dolphins, Peshawar Panthers, Rawalpindi Rams, Lahore Lions, Hyderabad Hawks
The eight regional teams have been divided into two pools for the qualifying round. Pool A: Karachi Zebras, Faisalabad Wolves, Abbottabad Falcons, FATA Cheetas; Pool B: Lahore Eagles, Multan Tigers, Bahawalpur Stags, Sialkot Stallions
The inter-department qualifying round features six teams: Pakistan International Airlines, State Bank of Pakistan, Sui Southern Gas Company, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited, Khan Research Laboratories, Karachi Port Trust
