Northern defeat Sindh by an innings and 55 runs to win the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022-23

[MenInG]

KP won the toss and are batting first against CP

 

[MenInG]

Toss uncontested, Sindh are bowling first vs SP

 

[MenInG]

Tea (day 1) at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad

Northern: 199-2 (51 ov)

#NORvBAL
==

Tea (day 1) at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 154-4 (56 ov)

#CPvKP

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Tea (day 1) at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Southern Punjab: 170-5 (58 ov)

#SPvSINDH

 

[Markhor]

Abrar Ahmed's biggest threat seems to be from the googly or straighter one.

 

[MenInG]

Stumps | Day One

Northern: 347-3 (78.2 ov)

#NORvBAL

==

Southern Punjab: 259-7 (90 ov)

#SPvSINDH

==

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 220
Central Punjab: 24-0 (6 ov)

#CPvKP

 

[MenInG]

Northern batters Mohammad Huraira and Faizan Riaz struck sparkling centuries against Balochistan to help their side reach 347 for three on the first day of the third round of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy fixture at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

The 20-year-old Huraira struck his fourth career century in 14th match when he was dismissed after scoring 169, while 34-year-old Faizan was batting on 100 – his 15th century in 89 matches – as the two batters added 172 runs for the third wicket. Huraira struck 23 fours and a six in a 223-ball innings, while Faizan has faced 119 balls off which 14 have been converted into fours.

Huraira had earlier added 109 runs for the first wicket with Abdul Faseeh (34) and 34 runs for the second wicket with Umar Amin (22).

For Balochistan, left-arm fast bowler Taj Wali took three wickets for 60 runs.

Central Punjab’s right-arm spinner Usama Mir recorded career best figures of 28.4-8-91-6 to spin out Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for 220 in 77.4 overs at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. The defending champions were cruising nicely at 93 for no loss, before the introduction of the 26-year-old turned the innings on its head as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lost their all 10 wickets for 127 runs.

Openers Waqar Ahmed (58) and Sahibzada Farhan (44) had provided a flying start to their side, but the top and middle-order collapsed like a house of cards against Usama. Only No.3 batter Nabi Gul (40) and No.8 batter Sajid Khan (21) offered some resistance.

When play ended on day one, Central Punjab were 24 for no loss. Abid Ali (20) and Ali Shan (4) will resume their innings on Monday.

At the Pindi Cricket Stadium, ATF Southern Punjab recovered from 178 for six to finished the day at 259 for seven. Ali Usman (35) and Mohammad Ilyas (28) were the two not out batters.

No.3 batter Usman Salahuddin was the top-scorer with 89, that came off 214 balls and included 12 fours. Together with Umar Siddiq (47), Usman added 56 runs for the second wicket, while he put on 47 runs for the seventh wicket with Ali Usman

For Sindh, spinner Abrar Ahmed finished with figures of 35-9-77-3, while Mohammad Umar took two for 51

Scores in brief (3rd round, day 1 of 4)

Toss uncontested – Sindh decided to field v AFT Southern Punjab at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

AFT Southern Punjab (1st innings) 259-7, 90 overs (Usman Salahuddin 89, Umar Siddiq 47, Ali Usman 35 not out, Mohammad Ilyas 28 not out; Abrar Ahmed 3-77, Mohammad Umar 2-51) v Sindh

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa won the toss and elected to bat v Central Punjab at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (1st innings) 220 all out, 77.4 overs (Waqar Ahmed 58, Sahibzada Farhan 44, Nabi Gul 40; Usama Mir 6-91, Ahmed Daniyal 3-33) v Central Punjab 24-0, 6 overs

Toss uncontested –Balochistan decided to field v Northern at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad

Northern (1st innings) 347-3, 78.2 overs (Mohammad Huraira 169, Faizan Riaz 100 not out, Abdul Faseeh 34, Umar Amin 22; Taj Wali 3-60) v Balochistan

 

[Nasty Naz]

Abrar with a 5 wicket haul in his first FC match of the season on a green top pitch in Pindi.

Very disappointing he didn't play in the England series.

 

[MenInG]

Lunch (day 2) at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 220
Central Punjab: 115-1 (33 ov)


==

Lunch (day 2) at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Southern Punjab: 278
Sindh: 54-4 (18 ov)

==

Lunch (day 2) at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad

Northern: 472-6 (105 ov)

 

[MenInG]

Tea (day 2) at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 220
Central Punjab: 170-4 (64 ov)

==

Tea (day 2) at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Southern Punjab: 278
Sindh: 142-8 (46 ov)

==
Tea (day 2) at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad

Northern: 520-8d
Balochistan: 52-2 (13 ov)

 

[MenInG]

Stumps (day 2) at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Southern Punjab: 278 & 77-3 (20 ov)
Sindh: 181

==

Stumps (day 2) at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad

Northern: 520-8d
Balochistan: 108-4 (34.4 ov)

 

[MenInG]

Lahore, 10 October 2022: Faizan Riaz did one better than the previous innings as he put Northern in a commanding position against Balochistan on the second day of the third round Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium in Abbottabad.

34-year-old Faizan, who had scored 119 in his only innings in the second round match against Sindh, scored an unconquered 201 after starting the day at 100 in Northern’s overnight score of 347 for three. Faizan’s over six hours of batting during which he faced 216 balls and hit 27 fours and a six, meant Northern were able to declare their first innings at 520 for eight.

When play ended, Balochistan were tottering at 108 for four with Haris Sohail (26) and Hussain Hussain (9) at the crease. Captain Asad Shafiq scored 53 before becoming one of the two victims of Kashif Ali (two for 35).

Balochistan had something to cheer on Monday when their 31-year-old fast bowler Taj Wali completed a five-wicket haul for the 19th time in his 71-match career. Taj, who yesterday had figures of three for 60, finished with figures of 23-2-91-5.

AFT Southern Punjab fast bowler Mohammad Ilyas recorded figures of 15-5-50-5, Ahmed Bashir picked up three for 31 and Mohammad Abbas snapped up two for 41 to send Sindh tumbling out for 181 at the Pindi Cricket Stadium. Sindh were replying to AFT Southern Punjab’s 278, who managed to add 19 runs to their overnight score of 259 for seven.

Mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed picked up two of the last three AFT Southern Punjab wickets to finish with impressive figures of 37.3-10-94-5, third time the 23-year-old had taken a five-fer in his eight-match career.

Sindh’s Muhammad Umar (59), Saad Khan (36) and Fawad Alam (32) offered some resistance against Ilyas, Ahmed and Abbas as the three ATF Southern Punjab bowlers fully exploited conditions that suited fast bowlers.

AFT Southern Punjab now lead Sindh by 174 runs with seven second innings wickets intact.

Early afternoon rain spoilt what was shaping into an exciting contest at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.

Central Punjab, resuming their first innings at 24 for no loss in reply to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s 220, were 173 for four when rain forced an early closure to the day’s play. Abid Ali top-scored with 66, while Abdullah Shafique scored 51.

For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khalid Usman took three for 52.

Scores in brief (3rd round, day 2 of 4)

Toss uncontested – Sindh decided to field v AFT Southern Punjab at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

AFT Southern Punjab (overnight 259-7) 278 all out, 94.3 overs (Usman Salahuddin 89, Umar Siddiq 47, Ali Usman 42, Mohammad Ilyas 39; Abrar Ahmed 5-94, Muhammad Umar 2-51, Mir Hamza 2-58) and 77-3, 20 overs (Zain Abbas 48 not out; Ghulam Mudassar 2-17)

Sindh 181 all out, 50.2 overs (Muhammad Umar 59, Saad Khan 36, Fawad Alam 32; Mohammad Ilyas 5-50, Ahmed Bashir 3-31, Mohammad Abbas 2-41)

First innings points – AFT Southern Punjab 8 (2 batting points, 3 bowling, extra bowling bonus points 3); Sindh 4 (3 bowling points, extra bowling bonus point 1)

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa won the toss and elected to bat v Central Punjab at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 220 all out, 77.4 overs (Waqar Ahmed 58, Sahibzada Farhan 44, Nabi Gul 40; Usama Mir 6-91, Ahmed Daniyal 3-33)

Central Punjab (overnight 24-0) 173-4, 65 overs (Abid Ali 66, Abdullah Shafique 51, Ali Shan 22; Khalid Usman 3-52)

First innings points (to date) – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 2 (1 batting point, 1 bowling point); Central Punjab 5 (3 bowling points, 2 extra bowling bonus points)

Toss uncontested –Balochistan decided to field v Northern at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad

Northern (1st innings) (overnight 347-3) 520-8d, 116 overs (Faizan Riaz 201 not out, Mohammad Huraira 169, Sarmad Bhatti 39, Abdul Faseeh 34, Umar Amin 22; Taj Wali 5-91, Akif Javed 3-146)

Balochistan 108-4, 34.4 overs (Asad Shafiq 53, Haris Sohail 26 not out; Kashif Ali 2-35)

First innings points (to date) – Northern 6 (5 batting points, 1 bowling point); Balochistan 1 (1 bowling point)

 

[Markhor]

Abrar with a 5 wicket haul in his first FC match of the season on a green top pitch in Pindi.

Very disappointing he didn't play in the England series.

It's a good Pindi surface which has exposed some FTBs. From what I saw, Abrar was mainly taking wickets through googlies and straighter ones and the SP batsmen weren't picking him. Want to see him turn his stock ball consistently.

SP seamers bowled beautifully. Despite Abbas's limitations, he's great to watch when conditions are tailor made. Saim Ayub is finding out FC cricket ain't no cakewalk, Ahmed Bashir went around the wicket and wide of the crease to bowl him out. Ilyas was another who used that angle effectively against Sindh's left handers. Mohammad Umar was their best batsman

Looks a flat deck at Abbottabad with Balochistan collapsing under scoreboard pressure. Akif Javed's red ball form is worrying, and may find himself in 2nd XI soon.

KPK just haven't got out the blocks this season with CP set to take a 1st inns lead.

 

[Nasty Naz]

It's a good Pindi surface which has exposed some FTBs. From what I saw, Abrar was mainly taking wickets through googlies and straighter ones and the SP batsmen weren't picking him. Want to see him turn his stock ball consistently.

SP seamers bowled beautifully. Despite Abbas's limitations, he's great to watch when conditions are tailor made. Saim Ayub is finding out FC cricket ain't no cakewalk, Ahmed Bashir went around the wicket and wide of the crease to bowl him out. Ilyas was another who used that angle effectively against Sindh's left handers. Mohammad Umar was their best batsman

Looks a flat deck at Abbottabad with Balochistan collapsing under scoreboard pressure. Akif Javed's red ball form is worrying, and may find himself in 2nd XI soon.

KPK just haven't got out the blocks this season with CP set to take a 1st inns lead.

Yeah, definitely not an easy pitch to bat on and honestly, if a Test match is happening on this pitch, it may be a good idea to include Abbas solely for that match.

Regarding Abrar, he basically bowls like an off-spinner from what I see and some that will slightly turn the other way like a doosra. He could definitely stand to improve on his leg break but it's pretty clear its the googly that gets him the wicket and the way he bowls, that is his stock delivery.

Also, a side note point but is there any good leg spinner in Test cricket? Hard to recall any good leg spinner in recent times outside of Yasir Shah. I just think you need spinners who can bowl that same line/length around the stumps to get wickets. I'll be interested to see if this can work for Abrar in International and with the numbers he has been putting up in non spin friendly conditions, it suggests he can make it work.

Must say I am very disappointed Azam Khan is not playing Test cricket. He was pretty decent last year and I am not sure if its a case of him not wanting to play or not getting selected by any teams. The former would be disappointing & latter would be foolishness.

 

[MenInG]

Lunch (day 3) at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad

Northern: 520-8d
Balochistan: 173-7 (61.5 ov)

==

Lunch (day 3) at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 220
Central Punjab: 173-4 (65 ov)

 

[Ahmed216]

Really impressed by Zain Abbas compact technique and decisive stroke play. Much better than likes of Imam.
But was surprised to see his stats only averages 32

 

[MenInG]

Tea (day 3) at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Southern Punjab: 278 & 237-6 (76 ov)
Sindh: 181

==

Tea (day 3) at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad

Northern: 520-8d
Balochistan: 216 all out (81.1 ov)

 

[MenInG]

Stumps (day 3) at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Day three called-off without a ball bowled due to wet outfield

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 220
Central Punjab: 173-4 (65 ov)

 

[MenInG]

Lahore, 11 October 2022: AFT Southern Punjab opener Zain Abbas scored his seventh career century and mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed recorded his second 10-wicket haul in a match for Sindh as their Quaid-e-Azam Trophy encounter entered into an exciting stage at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Zain, playing his 74th first-class match and starting the day at 48 in AFT Southern Punjab’s 77 for three, was dismissed after scoring 138 as his side collected 283 after having already secured a 97-run first innings lead.

When stumps were drawn for the third day, Sindh, chasing 381 for victory, were 57 for no wicket. Saim Ayub (43 not out) and Khurram Manzoor (14 not out) will resume their innings on Wednesday morning, with their side needing another 324 for an outright win.

Zain batted for just under six hours during which he received 195 balls out of which 13 were converted into fours and two into sixes. Zain added 85 runs for the fifth wicket with Umar Siddiq (42) after AFT Southern Punjab had slipped to 114 for four.

Sindh’s Abrar Ahmed continued his top form when he followed up his first innings figures of 37.3-10-94-5 with 31.5-3-100-6 for match figures of 11 for 194. The 23-year-old’s career-best remains 11 for 63 against Balochistan at the UBL Sports Complex in Karachi in November 2021.

Abrar, whose overnight figures were one for 29 in his eighth first-class match, accounted for Zain Abbas, Salman Ali Agha (13), Sharoon Siraj (17), Muhammad Imran Randhawa (11), Mohammad Abbas (16) and Ahmed Bashir (0).

At the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium in Abbottabad, Northern were sensing a massive victory against Balochistan.

Balochistan, resuming their first innings on the penultimate day at 108 for four in reply to Northern’s 520 for eight declared, were bundled out for 216 with Hussain Talat (48) and Yasir Shah (31) notable scorers on Tuesday. Wickets were evenly shared between Mubasir Khan (three for 18), Athar Mehmood (two for 45), Kashif Ali (two for 55) and Aamir Jamal (two for 67).

After being forced to follow-on and trailing by 304 runs, Balochistan finished the third day’s play at 136 for five with Khurram Shahzad and Hussain Talat at the crease but yet to get off the mark.

Ali Waqas (41) and Imran Butt (38) had provided Balochistan a 59-run start before they slipped to 104 for three and then lost two wickets at the score of 136. Balochistan require another 168 runs to make Northern bat again.

Due to wet outfield, there was no play between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Central Punjab at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.

Scores in brief (3rd round, day 3 of 4)

At the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

AFT Southern Punjab (overnight 259-7) 278 all-out, 94.3 overs (Usman Salahuddin 89, Umar Siddiq 47, Ali Usman 42, Mohammad Ilyas 39; Abrar Ahmed 5-94, Mohammad Umar 2-51, Mir Hamza 2-52) and (overnight 77-3) 283 all-out, 85.5 overs (Zain Abbas 138, Umar Siddiq 42, Ali Usman 26 not out; Abrar Ahmed 6-100, Ghulam Mudassar 2-59, Mir Hamza 2-64)

Sindh 181 all-out, 50.2 overs (Mohammad Umar 59, Saad Khan 36, Fawad Alam 32; Mohammad Ilyas 5-50, Ahmed Bashir 3-31, Mohammad Abbas 2-41) and 57-0, 17 overs (Saim Ayub 43 not out, Khurram Manzoor 14 not out)

First innings points – AFT Southern Punjab 8 (2 batting points, 3 bowling, extra bowling bonus points 3); Sindh 4 (3 bowling points, extra bowling bonus point 1)

At the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad

Northern (1st innings) (overnight 347-3) 520-8d, 116 overs (Faizan Riaz 201 not out, Mohammad Huraira 169, Abdul Faseeh 34, Umar Amin 22; Taj Wali 5-91)

Balochistan (overnight 108-4) 216 all out, 81.1 overs (Asad Shafiq 53, Hussain Talat 48, Yasir Shah 31, Haris Sohail 26; Mubasir Khan 3-18, Athar Mehmood 2-45, Kashif Ali 2-55, Aamir Jamal 2-67) and 136-5, 32 overs (Ali Waqas 41, Imran Butt 38)

First innings points – Northern 10 (5 batting points, 3 bowling point, 2 extra bowling bonus points); Balochistan 2 (1 batting point, 1 bowling point)

At the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad (no play)

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 220 all out, 77.4 overs (Waqar Ahmed 58, Sahibzada Farhan 44, Nabi Gul 40; Usama Mir 6-91, Ahmed Daniyal 3-33)

Central Punjab (overnight 24-0) 173-4, 65 overs ((Abid Ali 66, Abdullah Shafique 51, Ali Shan 22; Khalid Usman 3-52)

First innings points (to date) – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 2 (1 batting point, 1 bowling point); Central Punjab 5 (3 bowling points, 2 extra bowling bonus points)

 

[MenInG]

Lunch (day 4) at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad

Northern: 520-8d
Balochistan: 216 & 221-5 (f/o)

==

Lunch (day 4) at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Southern Punjab: 278 & 283
Sindh: 181 & 134-2 (44 ov)

==

Lunch (day 4) at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 220
Central Punjab: 274 all out (100.3 ov)

 

[MenInG]

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain Khalid Usman led from the front with 6-86 against Central Punjab.

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[Markhor]

SP are choking ! Sindh only need another 100 to win in a chase of 381.

Northern about to complete a victory over Balochistan.

CP-KPK heading towards a weather affected draw.

 

[MenInG]

Tea (day 4) at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad

Northern: 520-8d
Balochistan: 216 & 336 all out (f/o)

==

Tea (day 4) at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Southern Punjab: 278 & 283
Sindh: 181 & 223-4 (72 ov)

==

Tea (day 4) at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 220 & 88-3 (24 ov)
Central Punjab: 274

 

[Markhor]

Abbas dragging SP back into it.

Sindh need 91, SP need 4 wickets, minimum of 21 overs left...

 

[PakEngFan]

Abbas dragging SP back into it.

Sindh need 91, SP need 4 wickets, minimum of 21 overs left...

Cracking game. Thought Mir Hamza was run out to the naked eye but haven’t seen any replays yet and the umpire didn’t go up either.

 

[Omer2002]

Umpired couldnt go up as streaming is for viewers only. its umpires decision to rule on run outs

 

[MenInG]

Lahore, 12 October 2022: Northern defeated Balochistan by 10 wickets, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa versus Central Punjab and ATF Southern Punjab versus Sindh matches ended in draws in the third round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, which ended on Wednesday.

Hussain Talat stroked his fourth century in 51 matches as Balochistan, who resumed their second innings at 136 for five and required another 168 runs to make Northern bat again, added 200 runs on the final day to be dismissed for 336 at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. Northern took just 43 balls to race to the 33-run target for their second victory in three matches.

Hussain, who had yet to open his account when play ended on Tuesday, scored an unbeaten 115 from 178 balls with 15 fours and two sixes. He added 93 runs for the sixth wicket with Khurram Shahzad (59 from 89 balls with 11 fours) as the last four Balochistan wickets added 107 runs with Hussain dominating the scoring.

For Northern, 20-year-old Mubasir Khan, who was adjudged player of the 2021-22 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, followed up his three for 18 with three for 50 for match haul of six wickets for 68 runs.

At the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Omair Bin Yousuf scored an unconquered 110 – his sixth career century in 31st match – and young Saim Ayub missed his maiden century by five runs as Sindh held AFT Southern Punjab for a draw.

Set a 381-run target and resuming the last day at 57 for no loss, Sindh finished at 326 for seven. Omair’s 110 came off 192 balls and contained 15 fours, while Saim’s 138-ball 95 included 12 fours and two sixes.

For AFT Southern Punjab, Mohammad Abbas picked up three for 55, while Ahmed Bashir snapped up two for 53.

At the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, defending champion Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Central Punjab match ended in a draw after one-and-a-half day’s play was lost due to rain and wet outfield.

After there was no play on the third day, Central Punjab resumed their first innings at 173 for four in reply to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s 220 and the entire side was dismissed for 274. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Khalid Usman and Test off-spinner Sajid Khan snapped up six for 86 and four for 100, respectively.

When the match ended, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were 174 for three in their second innings.

Sahibzada Farhan raced to his fourth first-class century in 44th match and remained undefeated on 100 that came off 121 balls and included 13 fours and a six. Together with Rehan Afridi (54 not out), Sahibzada Farhan put on 142 runs for the unfinished fourth wicket after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had slipped to 32 for three.

Fourth round matches will commence from Saturday, 15 October.

Scores in brief (3rd round, day 4 of 4):

AFT Southern Punjab-Sindh match ended in a draw at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

AFT Southern Punjab (overnight 259-7) 278 all-out, 94.3 overs (Usman Salahuddin 89, Umar Siddiq 47, Ali Usman 42, Mohammad Ilyas 39; Abrar Ahmed 5-94, Mohammad Umar 2-51, Mir Hamza 2-52) and (overnight 77-3) 283 all-out, 85.5 overs (Zain Abbas 138, Umar Siddiq 42, Ali Usman 26 not out; Abrar Ahmed 6-100, Ghulam Mudassar 2-59, Mir Hamza 2-64)

Sindh 181 all-out, 50.2 overs (Mohammad Umar 59, Saad Khan 36, Fawad Alam 32; Mohammad Ilyas 5-50, Ahmed Bashir 3-31, Mohammad Abbas 2-41) and (overnight 57-0) 326-7 (Omair Bin Yousuf 110 not out, Saim Ayub 95, Saad Khan 44, Saud Shakeel 24, Fawad Alam 22; Mohammad Abbas 3-55, Ahmed Bashir 2-53)

Match points: AFT Southern Punjab 13, Sindh 9

Northern beat Balochistan by 10 wickets at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad

Northern (1st innings) (overnight 347-3) 520-8d, 116 overs (Faizan Riaz 201 not out, Mohammad Huraira 169, Abdul Faseeh 34, Umar Amin 22; Taj Wali 5-91) and 34-0

Balochistan (overnight 108-4) 216 all out, 81.1 overs (Asad Shafiq 53, Hussain Talat 48, Yasir Shah 31, Haris Sohail 26; Mubasir Khan 3-18, Athar Mehmood 2-45, Kashif Ali 2-55, Aamir Jamal 2-67) and (overnight 136-5) 336 (Hussain Talat 115, Khurram Shahzad 59, Ali Waqas 41, Imran Butt 38; Mubasir Khan 3-50)

Match points: Northern 26, Balochistan 2

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Central Punjab match ended in a draw at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad (no play)

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 220 all out, 77.4 overs (Waqar Ahmed 58, Sahibzada Farhan 44, Nabi Gul 40; Usama Mir 6-91, Ahmed Daniyal 3-33) and 174-3 (Sahibzada Farhan 100 not out, Rehan Afridi 54 not out)

Central Punjab (overnight 173-4) 274 (Abid Ali 66, Abdullah Shafique 51, Mohammad Saad 37, Tayyab Tahir 33, Ali Shan 22; Khalid Usman 6-86, Sajid Khan 4-100)

Match points: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 9, Central Punjab 12

Fourth round fixtures (15-18 October):

Balochistan v Southern Punjab, Abbottabad; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Sindh, Rawalpindi; Central Punjab v Northern, Faisalabad.

 

[ElRaja]

another win for northern.

mubasir and abrar are both nearing 50 fc wickets.

mubasir could well be on his way to 1000 runs and 50 wickets within 18 fc games, wonder who was the last player to do it quicker in pak.

abrar after a rough start to his fc career now has two 10 wicket hauls. hopefully they improve on their form cos i don't think a test call up would be too far for either. they are both still raw, but cant be much worse than sajid khan and nauman ali.

good to see hurraira with another big hundred, needs to be groomed to replace azhar ali.

 

[Nasty Naz]

Too bad Saim Ayub missed out on his century. If he could have stayed on a bit longer, its likely Sindh wins the game. Good stuff from Omair Yousuf too.

Mubasir got Haseebullah out twice in the match. I'm not sure if he is good enough in a spin specialist role but certainly a better spin option than Agha Salman who can bat quite well too.

Yasir Shah in the same match: 24 overs, 0 wickets. Mubasir got 6 wickets in 26.1 overs. Safe to say Yasir is done.

Ghulam & Shakeel so far have been a little underwhelming and have been outplayed by Fawad. There's two spots up for grabs in the Test lineup so those two will need to be outstanding to grab those spots. Hoping they can turn it on for the remaining matches.

 

[MenInG]

The fourth round action of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022-23 will commence on Saturday at three different venues of the country with Northern leading the table with 59 points and defending champions Khyber Pakhtunkhwa sitting at the bottom with 22 points.

In the fourth round, Northern will take on second-placed Central Punjab at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad; in the live-streamed match on the PCB YouTube channel, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will meet fourth-placed Sindh at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi; and fifth-placed ATF Southern Punjab will take on third-placed Balochistan at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium in Abbottabad.

After nine matches, three have produced results at two venues with Abbottabad witnessing two of those results. Balochistan surprised Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by 134 runs in the first round action but lost by 10 wickets in the third round match against Northern but not before putting up a strong fightback.

The other result was at the Iqbal Stadium when Northern defeated ATF Southern Punjab by 10 wickets.

Results apart, the three matches in round three produced some exciting and close finishes with all the six teams fighting tooth and nail for glory in the Pakistan’s oldest and most prestigious Trophy.

Sindh batted whole day against ATF Southern Punjab to hold them for a draw, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Sahibzada Farhan made the most of a rain-affected match against Central Punjab by notching up his fourth career century. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s spin duo of Khalid Usman and Sajid Khan shared all 10 Central Punjab wickets to slowly warm-up for the upcoming matches.

The competition is also providing an exciting battle between the bat and the ball. To date, 21 centuries have been struck, while the bowlers have picked up six fivers and one 10-fer.

After three rounds, Test opener Abdullah Shafique of Central Punjab leads the batting chart with 380 runs from four innings. He is followed by ATF Southern Punjab’s Zain Abbas (352), Tayyab Tahir of Central Punjab (335), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Sahibzada Farhan (335), Northern’s Faizan Riaz (326) and Waqar Ahmed of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (303).

Mubasir Khan of Northern, who was adjudged the player of the 2021-22 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, is leading the bowlers table with 15 scalps. Sindh’s mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed is in second place with 11 wickets, which he took in his first appearance of this season’s event against ATF Southern Punjab. He is followed by Central Punjab’s Ahmed Daniyal, Southern Punjab’s Ahmed Bashir and Mir Hamza of Sindh (all 10 wickets apiece).

Meanwhile, three matches in the fourth round Cricket Associations Championship will also commence from Saturday. Central Punjab are on top of the table with two wins from three matches, with 55 points. Southern Punjab and Sindh are on the second and third position, with 51 and 50 points, respectively. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Northern and Balochistan have won one match apiece.

In the fourth round matches, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will square off against Sindh at the KCCA Stadium, Central Punjab will lock horns with Northern at the NBP Sports Complex and Balochistan will meet ATF Southern Punjab at the UBL Sports Complex.

Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (fourth round matches, 15-18 October):

Balochistan v ATF Southern Punjab, Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Sindh, Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
Central Punjab v Northern, Iqbal Stadium Faisalabad

 

[MenInG]

 

[Nasty Naz]

Wow Mir Hamza with an absolute peach of a delivery.

It's always enjoyable watching matches in Pindi wickets.

 

[daytrader]

Round 4:

Toss: Central Punjab win the toss and elect to bat at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

#CPvNOR

==

Toss: Central Punjab win the toss and elect to bat

#CPvNOR

==

Toss Uncontested. Sindh chose to bowl at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

#KPvSINDH

 

[Xoib]

Mubasir has to be part of the playing Xi vs England if he fulfills his promise he greatly improves the balance of the test side.

 

[Fenrir]

Kamran Ghulam should play against England and New Zealand.He has been scoring consistently in FC matches.

 

[MenInG]

Stumps (day 1) at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Central Punjab: 300-3 (86 ov)

#CPvNOR

==

Stumps (day 1) at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 291-5 (90 ov)

#KPvSINDH

==

Stumps (day 1) at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad

Balochistan: 225-4 (83 ov)

#BALvSP

 

[MenInG]

Azhar Ali stroked his 45th first-class century as Central Punjab justified their decision of batting first against Northern by reaching 300 for three at stumps on day one of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy fourth round fixture at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on Saturday.

The 37-year-old veteran of 95 Tests was batting on 130 and with him was Tayyab Tahir on 82 as the two batters have put on 168 runs for the unfinished fourth wicket. The two had joined hands after Nauman Ali had picked up two of the three wickets to reduce Central Punjab to 132 for three.

Azhar Ali’s 209-ball innings includes 15 fours and four sixes, while Tayyab has struck six fours and four sixes in a 130-ball knock. Abid Ali (11), Abdullah Shafique (32) and Mohammad Saad (27) were the batters to return back to the pavilion.

Sindh and ATF Southern Punjab let Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan off the hook, respectively in the other two matches.

At the Pindi Cricket Stadium in a match that is being live-streamed, Sindh’s decision to field first appeared to be spot-on after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had slipped to 128-5 after being 111 for two. However, Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Sarwar Afridi rescued their side from complete collapse by stitching an unfinished 163-run sixth wicket partnership to take their side to 291 for five at stumps.

Kamran Ghulam was batting on 89, an innings that has come from 186 balls and includes nine fours and two sixes, while Sarwar’s 118-ball 79 contains 11 fours and two sixes.

Earlier, Sahibzada Farhan (53) and Rehan Afridi (47) had added 98 runs for the third wicket to lift the defending championship to 111 for two after Sindh fast bowler Mir Hamza had removed both the openers with the scoreboard reading 13. Fast bowler Mohammad Umar, in the second session, picked up two wickets after Arbab Ahmed had ended the third wicket partnership by accounting for Rehan.

The story was not too different at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium where Balochistan recovered from 102 for three to finish the day at 225 for four in 83 overs against ATF Southern Punjab. Former Test batter Asad Shafiq saved his side’s blushes when he returned undefeated on 70 from 111 balls with 10 fours.

Asad added 112 runs for the fourth wicket with Haris Sohail, who contributed 37, after openers Ali Waqas (45) and Imran Butt (30) had provided Balochistan a 73-run start before they lost three wickets for 29 runs.

For ATF Southern Punjab, Mohammad Imran Randhawa has bagged two wickets for 34 runs.

Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (fourth round, day one):

Toss – Uncontested, Sindh decided to field vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 291-5, 90 overs (Kamran Ghulam 89 not out, Mohammad Sarwar Afridi 79 not out, Sahibzada Farhan 53, Rehan Afridi 47; Mir Hamza 2-38, Mohammad Umar 2-45) v Sindh

Toss – Uncontested, ATF Southern Punjab decided to field vs Balochistan at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium

Balochistan 225-4, 83 overs (Asad Shafiq 70 not out, Ali Waqas 45, Haris Sohail 37, Imran Butt 30; Muhammad Imran Randhawa 2-34) v ATF Southern Punjab

Toss – Central Punjab won the toss and elected to bat first vs Northern at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Central Punjab 300-3, 86 overs (Azhar Ali 130 not out, Tayyab Tahir 82 not out, Abdullah Shafique 32, Mohammad Saad 27; Nauman Ali 2-93) v Northern

 

[Nasty Naz]

Saud proving he is definitely not cut out for captaincy. New ball taken with only one slip. Sarwar meanwhile continues to keep edging against the new ball to the first slip.

Horrible defensive captaincy. Truly mind-boggling what the coaches teach these players. I understand having the defensive field against set batsmen against an old ball that's not doing anything but what's the point of taking a new ball and not setting up 3 slips to take wickets. Pindi wickets is good for new ball bowlers too.

 

[MenInG]

Mohammad Sarwar's maiden first-class century:

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/gjp4pp" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>

 

[MenInG]

Lunch (day 2) at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Central Punjab: 401-6 (113 ov)

#CPvNOR

==

Lunch (day 2) at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad

Balochistan: 300-6 (109 ov)

#BALvSP

==

Lunch (day 2) at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 384-8 (115 ov)

#KPvSINDH

 

[MenInG]

Tea (day 2) at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Central Punjab: 509-9d (140 ov)

#CPvNOR

==

Tea (day 2) at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad

Balochistan: 346
Southern Punjab: 25-0 (7 ov)

==

Tea (day 2) at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 384
Sindh: 128-1 (22 ov)

 

[Markhor]

KPK bowlers are getting smashed. Where's Arshad Iqbal and Irfanullah Shah ?

Still don't get the basis for promoting Arshadullah based on his 2nd XI T20 form. Ihsanullah also struggling to adapt from T20 to FC.

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

KPK bowlers are getting smashed. Where's Arshad Iqbal and Irfanullah Shah ?

Still don't get the basis for promoting Arshadullah based on his 2nd XI T20 form. Ihsanullah also struggling to adapt from T20 to FC.

Good to see Abrar keep getting wickets. I think at this point you have to include him in the England Squad. Same for Mubasir, who’s highest wicket taker to now, and can possibly play at No. 7 for Pakistan.

 

[ElRaja]

azhar ali with a double tonne, looks like he has no intentions of going anywhere anytime soon.

 

[MenInG]

Stumps (day 2) at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Central Punjab: 509-9d
Northern: 107-1 (34 ov)

==

Stumps (day 2) at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad

Balochistan: 346
Southern Punjab: 109-2 (32.4 ov)

==

Stumps (day 2) at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 384
Sindh: 214-2 (51 ov)

 

[JibranAnsari]

Good to see Abrar keep getting wickets. I think at this point you have to include him in the England Squad. Same for Mubasir, who’s highest wicket taker to now, and can possibly play at No. 7 for Pakistan.

Abrar is undercooked , he will be massacred. His style is more suited to limited over cricket , very little turn and fast wicket to wicket bowling.

 

[JibranAnsari]

ihsanullah is one to keep an eye on , went for runs but bowled very well.

 

[MenInG]

Lahore, 16 October 2022: Tayyab Tahir stroked his third century of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022-23, Azhar Ali registered third double-century of the event, Mohammad Sarwar Afridi reached three figures for the first time in his career and, Asad Shafiq and Khurram Manzoor scored their first hundreds of the season on day two of the PCB’s premier competition at various grounds of the country.

While the batters had smiles all-round, the bowlers also had something to cheer about when Sameen Gul picked up his sixth career five-fer, Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Umar picked up four wickets apiece, and Mehran Mumtaz, Nauman Ali and Mohammad Imran Randhawa claimed three wickets each.

At the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa resumed their first innings at the overnight score of 291 for five against Sindh and were bowled out for 384 after adding 93 runs this morning. Mohammad Sarwar Afridi, playing his 14th match and starting the day at 79, was dismissed after scoring 148. His 201-ball innings included 20 fours and three sixes.

Kamran Ghulam added four runs to his overnight score of 89 to miss his 11th first-class century by seven runs. His 93 came off 205 balls and included nine fours and two sixes.

Off Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s five wickets to fall on the second day, three were picked up by mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed who finished with figures of 39.2-9-130-4. The bespectacled spinner now has 15 wickets in three innings. Fast bowler Mohammad Umar picked up the remaining two wickets to finish with figures of 26-3-87-4.

In reply, Khurram Manzoor led Sindh’s strong and positive response with a brisk 130-ball 116 – his 31st century in 191 matches – to take his side to 214 for two in 51 overs at close. Together with Saim Ayub (42), Khurram, who hit 16 fours, put on 84 runs for the first wicket, while he added 113 runs for the second wicket with Saud Shakeel. Saud (43) and Omair Bin Yousuf (5) will resume Sindh’s first innings on Monday.

At the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, Central Punjab started the second day at 300 for three and declared their first innings at 509 for nine against Northern. Test batter Azhar Ali, who commenced his innings at 130, was dismissed after scoring 219, while Tayyab Tahir ended up with 114 after starting the day at 82.

Azhar’s 323-ball innings was studded with 20 fours and six sixes, while 29-year-old Tayyab, who is the leading run-getter of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy to date with 449 runs, struck six fours and six sixes in a 178-ball 114. The two batters added 224 runs for the fourth wicket. Wicketkeeper-batter Ali Shan, batting at No.8, scored a 99-ball 55 with three fours and a six.

For Northern, Mehran Mumtaz (three for 111), Nauman Ali (three for 173) and Mubasir Khan (two for 76) shared wickets.

When play ended, Northern had reached 107 for one. Mohammad Huraira (53) and Umar Amin (35) who have added 86 runs for the unfinished second wicket, will resume Northern’s reply on Monday.

At the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Test batter Asad Shafiq scored his first century of the season and 26th overall, to help Balochistan score 346 against ATF Southern Punjab. Balochistan had started the day at 225-4 with Asad Shafiq batting on 70.

Asad struck 16 fours in a 183-ball innings. Other notable lower-order batters were Haseebullah (33) and Khurram Shahzad (26).

For ATF Southern Punjab, fast bowler Sameen Gul bowled impressively and finished with figures of 30-8-84-5. He was well supported by Mohammad Imran Randhawa, who added a wicket to his yesterday’s tally to finish with figures of three for 75.

In reply, ATF Southern Punjab had reached 109 for two in 32.4 overs when bad light forced an early closure, Sharoon Siraj (46) and Usman Salahuddin (32) will resume ATF Southern Punjab’s response on Monday.

Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (fourth round, day two):

Central Punjab vs Northern at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Central Punjab (overnight 300-3) 509-9d, 140 overs (Azhar Ali 219, Tayyab Tahir 114, Ali Shan 55, Abdullah Shafique 32, Mohammad Saad 27; Mehran Mumtaz 3-111, Nauman Ali 3-173, Mubasir Khan 2-76)

Northern 107-1, 34 overs (Mohammad Huraira 53 not out, Umar Amin 35 not out)

Sindh vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (overnight 291-5) 384, 115.2 overs (Mohammad Sarwar Afridi 148, Kamran Ghulam 93, Sahibzada Farhan 53, Rehan Afridi 47; Mohammad Umar 4-87, Abrar Ahmed 4-130, Mir Hamza 2-51)

Sindh 214-2, 51 overs (Khurram Manzoor 116, Saud Shakeel 43 not out, Saim Ayub 42; Ihsanullah 2-54)

ATF Southern Punjab vs Balochistan at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium

Balochistan (overnight 225-4) 346, 127 overs (Asad Shafiq 106, Ali Waqas 45, Haris Sohail 37, Haseebullah 33, Imran Butt 30, Khurram Shahzad 26 not out; Sameen Gul 5-84, Muhammad Imran Randhawa 3-75)

ATF Southern Punjab 109-2, 32.4 overs (Sharoon Siraj 46 not out, Usman Salahuddin 32 not out)

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Abrar is undercooked , he will be massacred. His style is more suited to limited over cricket , very little turn and fast wicket to wicket bowling.

He’s got a month more of QEA games to play before the England starts (1sr Dec.), which will bear out how he does. With bowlers, confidence can be a big thing. If you unleash him against England, who’ll have little time to do the data prep required to work him out, it benefits you.

Regarding his spin, from what I saw of him today, he was getting enough spin w/ his leggie to consistently beat Kamran Ghulams edge. I feel he has enough spin to bring the bat pad in to play, and he’ll get some LBs with his Googly. He’s not the finished article, but the question is, will he do any worse than Yasir (whose been poor in QEA) and Nauman (who usually bosses the QEA trophy, but is having a middling season, for a guys whose thought of as the best SLAO in first class in Pakistan)?

 

[ElRaja]

Abrar is undercooked , he will be massacred. His style is more suited to limited over cricket , very little turn and fast wicket to wicket bowling.

no different to any other pak spinner, there simply isnt enough competition, its either him or mubasir, and both are far from the finished product. sajid and nauman are having pretty poor seasons, and both haven't achieved anything substantial at test level.

 

[JibranAnsari]

no different to any other pak spinner, there simply isnt enough competition, its either him or mubasir, and both are far from the finished product. sajid and nauman are having pretty poor seasons, and both haven't achieved anything substantial at test level.

mubasir is better , gives flight and intices the batsman. Abrar is not that , it will be infair on him to expect anything on test arena.

 

[JibranAnsari]

He’s got a month more of QEA games to play before the England starts (1sr Dec.), which will bear out how he does. With bowlers, confidence can be a big thing. If you unleash him against England, who’ll have little time to do the data prep required to work him out, it benefits you.

Regarding his spin, from what I saw of him today, he was getting enough spin w/ his leggie to consistently beat Kamran Ghulams edge. I feel he has enough spin to bring the bat pad in to play, and he’ll get some LBs with his Googly. He’s not the finished article, but the question is, will he do any worse than Yasir (whose been poor in QEA) and Nauman (who usually bosses the QEA trophy, but is having a middling season, for a guys whose thought of as the best SLAO in first class in Pakistan)?

shadab is a better spinner than abrar and has the edge in fielding and batting department.

 

[Marooned]

mubasir is better , gives flight and intices the batsman. Abrar is not that , it will be infair on him to expect anything on test arena.

Plus Mubasir's batting potential is great. Not bowling allrounder level. Proper test class top 6 batsman level.

 

[ElRaja]

mubasir is better , gives flight and intices the batsman. Abrar is not that , it will be infair on him to expect anything on test arena.

mubasir is more consistent than abrar, but abrar has two ten wicket hauls on these dead pitches, so even if he's not as good, maybe his variety is good at cleaning up tails.

fwiw i don't think either are ready for test cricket yet, but pakistans bowling stocks are super low. shadab is of course a better spinner than both, but he hasn't played a first class game in 2.5 years, tests require long periods of control and patience, something he hasn't worked on in ages.

its a big problem for Pakistan, i can see any of our spinners conceding 160, 170 off 40 odd overs if pitches are flat.

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

shadab is a better spinner than abrar and has the edge in fielding and batting department.

Shadab is Pakistan’s most important white ball cricketer after Babar, because of the balance he gives to the side. Playing him extends the batting line up, but given the exertions that Pakistan spinners have to make, and Shaddy’s injury record, I would keep him far far away from tests.

 

[Nasty Naz]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3JWg67Rqpw

Start at 12:26 in the video. What an absurdly good shot by Saim Ayub.

 

[Bewal Express]

shadab is a better spinner than abrar and has the edge in fielding and batting department.

Neither is particularly good in the longer forms. Shadab looks awful in tests and his lack of leg spin means he is innocuous in tests

 

[JibranAnsari]

Neither is particularly good in the longer forms. Shadab looks awful in tests and his lack of leg spin means he is innocuous in tests

not tested enough in test cricket yet , he brings more value than any other spinner in pakistan.

 

[JibranAnsari]

Shadab is Pakistan’s most important white ball cricketer after Babar, because of the balance he gives to the side. Playing him extends the batting line up, but given the exertions that Pakistan spinners have to make, and Shaddy’s injury record, I would keep him far far away from tests.

no one remembers a t20 which was played a week ago , test cricket is what can give him recognition.

 

[Markhor]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3JWg67Rqpw

Start at 12:26 in the video. What an absurdly good shot by Saim Ayub.

Goodness me. Saim Ayub will play for Pakistan if he can consistently convert these starts into bigger knocks like Abdullah Shafiq has done.

Good to see Abrar keep getting wickets. I think at this point you have to include him in the England Squad. Same for Mubasir, who’s highest wicket taker to now, and can possibly play at No. 7 for Pakistan.

Most of Sindh's matches have been streamed so I've been able to see Abrar bowl full spells. Honestly he bowls like a white ball bowler in red ball cricket. As I said earlier, his wickets have predominantly been from googlies or straighter ones. International batsmen will play him like an offspinner similar to Mushy when he overbowled his googlies.

If he can learn art of patiently setting up a batsmen, land his legbreak consistently and use the variations as a surprise delivery, he'll be ready for Tests. He should've played ahead of Usman Qadir for sure in T20s.

 

[Bewal Express]

not tested enough in test cricket yet , he brings more value than any other spinner in pakistan.

No. To get people out in tests he needs to spin the ball as he is the aggressor, and without sharp leg spin that won't happen.

 

[Bewal Express]

Goodness me. Saim Ayub will play for Pakistan if he can consistently convert these starts into bigger knocks like Abdullah Shafiq has done.



Most of Sindh's matches have been streamed so I've been able to see Abrar bowl full spells. Honestly he bowls like a white ball bowler in red ball cricket. As I said earlier, his wickets have predominantly been from googlies or straighter ones. International batsmen will play him like an offspinner similar to Mushy when he overbowled his googlies.

If he can learn art of patiently setting up a batsmen, land his legbreak consistently and use the variations as a surprise delivery, he'll be ready for Tests. He should've played ahead of Usman Qadir for sure in T20s.

If Abrar can learn to bowl a leg spinner, he would become a top test bowler but we also know that ain't never happening. His action won't allow consistent leg spin

 

[Markhor]

If Abrar can learn to bowl a leg spinner, he would become a top test bowler but we also know that ain't never happening. His action won't allow consistent leg spin

What do you make of his action ? He seems to bowl quite front on with very little follow through.

 

[Bewal Express]

What do you make of his action ? He seems to bowl quite front on with very little follow through.

Its ok but once any batsman worth his salt spots his googly, he will be toast. As you say he has to learn to bowl the ball that goes away but with that action its impossible. He could try to bowl leg cutters but they are difficult to control and they give you very little spin

 

[Nasty Naz]

If Abrar can learn to bowl a leg spinner, he would become a top test bowler but we also know that ain't never happening. His action won't allow consistent leg spin

Is there a single good leg spinner in Tests? I can't recall any. And I am not sure what other top leg spinners have been in general in Tests in recent memory outside of Yasir Shah and his wicket taking delivery was the straight one for bowled or LBW.

Getting turn and consistent line to threaten stumps is the way to go so I am hopeful Abrar can succeed due to that consistency. He does bowl some decent leg spinners that can turn a bit and that will always be in the minds of batsmen when they're playing him.

He will certainly be interesting to watch and maybe a good case whether or not a spinner like him can work in Tests. I do think he will succeed in LOI for sure with his ability to get turns both way and having a flatter trajectory of his bowling and likely someone who will be economical & difficult to hit.

 

[MenInG]

Tea (day 3) at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Central Punjab: 509-9d
Northern: 300-3 (97 ov)

==

Tea (day 3) at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad

Balochistan: 346
Southern Punjab: 302-7 (84 ov)

==

Tea (day 3) at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 384
Sindh: 369-4 (103 ov)

 

[MenInG]

Stumps (day 3) at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 384
Sindh: 489-9 (137 ov)

==

Stumps (day 3) at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Central Punjab: 509-9d
Northern: 425-4 (125 ov)

==

Stumps (day 3) at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad

Balochistan: 346 & 36-1 (10 ov)
Southern Punjab: 330

 

[MenInG]

Najeebullah Achakzai took a five-fer for the first time in his career to help Balochistan grab a 16-run first innings lead against ATF Southern Punjab, while Saud Shakeel and Omair Bin Yousuf stroked their second centuries of the tournament to help Sindh earn first-innings lead points against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on day three of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy on Monday.

At the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, 31-year-old Najeebullah, who played four matches in his maiden season last year, recorded figures of 23.5-0-90-5 in his first game of this season to skittle out ATF Southern Punjab for 330 after they had resumed this morning at 109 for two in reply to Balochistan’s 346.

When play ended, Balochistan had reached 36 for one.

Najeebullah accounted for Umar Siddiq (17), Sharoon Siraj (73), Mohammad Imran Randhawa (53), Ali Usman (8) and Ahmed Bashir (0). While Sharoon’s 132-ball 73 included 12 fours, Usman Salahuddin was the innings’ top scorer with 88 (184 balls, 10x4). Usman had started the day at 32, while Sharoon began at 46.

At the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Sindh secured a 105-run first innings lead over defending champions Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following centuries by captain Saud Shakeel and Omair Bin Yousuf. On Sunday, opener Khurram Manzoor had hit a rapid 130-ball 116 to provide his side a solid start.

Saud, who started the day at 43 and Omair, who began at 5, scored 105 runs apiece and put on 144 runs for the third wicket after Sindh had resumed their innings at 214 for two in reply to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s 384. Saud faced 251 balls and hit 13 fours in his second century of the season and 13th overall, while Omair hit eight fours and a six in his 216 innings. It was also Omair’s second successive century of this year’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and seventh in 32nd match.

Later in the innings, Mohammad Hasan (47) and Asif Mahmood (31) added 60 runs for the seventh wicket to help Sindh finish the day at 489 for nine.

For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Test off-spinner Sajid Khan picked up three for 127, while Ihsanullah added one more wicket to his overnight tally to finish with three for 108.

At the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, an unbeaten century by Sarmad Bhatti and half-centuries by Faizan Riaz, Mubasir Khan and Umar Amin took Northern to 425 for four in reply to Central Punjab’s 509 for nine declared. Northern had commenced their day at 107 for one.

Sarmad was batting on 102, his seventh career century and first of the season, and with him was Mubasir Khan, who was 70 not out. Sarmad has faced 217 balls and hit 11 fours, while Mubasir’s 97-ball innings includes 10 fours and a six as the two batters have put on 124 runs for the unfinished fifth wicket.

Huraira added nine more runs to his overnight score and was dismissed for 62, while Umar scored 68 after beginning the day at 35. Faizan Riaz, who had stroked a double-century in the previous match, was out after scoring a 167-ball 74 with nine fours.



Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (fourth round, day three):

Central Punjab vs Northern at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Central Punjab 509-9d, 140 overs (Azhar Ali 219, Tayyab Tahir 114, Ali Shan 55, Abdullah Shafique 32, Mohammad Saad 27; Mehran Mumtaz 3-111, Nauman Ali 3-173, Mubasir Khan 2-76)

Northern 425-4 (overnight 107-1) (Sarmad Bhatti 102 not out, Faizan Riaz 74, Mubasir Khan 70 not out, Umar Amin 68, Mohammad Huraira 62; Ahmed Safi Abdullah 2-95)

Sindh vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 384, 115.2 overs (Mohammad Sarwar Afridi 148, Kamran Ghulam 93, Sahibzada Farhan 53, Rehan Afridi 47; Mohammad Umar 4-87, Abrar Ahmed 4-130, Mir Hamza 2-51)

Sindh (overnight 214-2) 489-9, 137 overs (Khurram Manzoor 116, Saud Shakeel 105, Omair Bin Yousuf 105, Mohammad Hasan 47, Saim Ayub 42, Asif Mahmood 31; Ihsanullah 3-108, Sajid Khan 3-127)

ATF Southern Punjab vs Balochistan at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium

Balochistan 346, 127 overs (Asad Shafiq 106, Ali Waqas 45, Haris Sohail 37, Haseebullah 33, Imran Butt 30, Khurram Shahzad 26 not out; Sameen Gul 5-84, Muhammad Imran Randhawa 3-75) and 36 for one

ATF Southern Punjab (overnight 109-2) 330, 96.5 overs (Usman Salahuddin 88, Sharoon Siraj 73, Mohammad Imran Randhawa 53, Salman Ali Agha 44; Najeebullah Achakzai 5-90, Kashif Bhatti 2-78, Khurram Shehzad 2-83)

 

[Xoib]

Goodness me. Saim Ayub will play for Pakistan if he can consistently convert these starts into bigger knocks like Abdullah Shafiq has done.



Most of Sindh's matches have been streamed so I've been able to see Abrar bowl full spells. Honestly he bowls like a white ball bowler in red ball cricket. As I said earlier, his wickets have predominantly been from googlies or straighter ones. International batsmen will play him like an offspinner similar to Mushy when he overbowled his googlies.

If he can learn art of patiently setting up a batsmen, land his legbreak consistently and use the variations as a surprise delivery, he'll be ready for Tests. He should've played ahead of Usman Qadir for sure in T20s.

Bhai have you seen the score cards this season even Warne and Murali would struggle to make an impact on these pitches atleast give him better pitches before passing a judgement on the poor bloke.

 

[MenInG]

Najeebullah's 5fer:

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[Nasty Naz]

Really strange & poor captaincy from Saud. I am so confused as to what these coaches tell these captains because it is so weird.

Sindh had a near 100 run lead towards the end of the day last night and instead of declaring in the hopes of trying to get KPK out for 200 or so & still give yourself a chance to chase and win the game, instead they keep hopelessly batting and doing it slowly while at it. They came into the last day with a 100+ lead and still chose to continue to batting for no reason whatsoever.

Even if you don't think a result is likely, why would you not at least give yourself a chance. With the yesterdays overs & today, maybe you can bowl them out in 75 overs for 200-250 and give yourself around 20 overs to chase. It's unlikely with what the pitch is but you still need to give yourself that chance. You are not in a position to lose the match with the current lead but there is a minor chance to win.

Extremely defensive captaincy from him all game. Doing things like removing slip on the first day when it was a green pitch & couple of wickets had fallen. Had one slip further on in the match when the new ball was taken. Such a defensive mindset the upcoming players are taught where the mentality is to try not to lose rather than trying to win.

 

[MenInG]

Lunch (day 4) at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 384 & 56-4 (23 ov)
Sindh: 490

==

Lunch (day 4) at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Central Punjab: 509-9d
Northern: 483-6 (156 ov)

==

Lunch (day 4) at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad

Balochistan: 346 & 119-3 (37 ov)
Southern Punjab: 330

 

[MenInG]

Tea (day 4) at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Central Punjab: 509-9d
Northern: 574-7 (184 ov)

==

Tea (day 4) at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad

Balochistan: 346 & 232-4 (70 ov)
Southern Punjab: 330

 

[MenInG]

Match Summary

Central Punjab: 509-9d
Northern: 651-9d

Result: Match drawn

==

Match Summary

Balochistan: 346 & 295-6
Southern Punjab: 330

Result: Match drawn

==

Match Summary

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 384 & 108
Sindh: 490 & 4-0

Result: Sindh won by 10 wickets

 

[MenInG]

Ahmed Safi Abdullah registered his second first-class five-wicket haul as he took 6-132 against Northern.

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[MenInG]

Lahore, 18 October 2022: Mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed continued to make headlines when he bowled Sindh to a sensational 10-wicket victory over defending champions Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the fourth and last day of the fourth round Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022-23 in front of PCB cameras.

Abrar, the bespectacled 24-year-old Karachi-born spinner, followed up his first innings figures of 39.2-9-130-4 with 19-9-29-5 as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were mesmerised and spun out for a paltry 108 in 46.2 overs at the Pindi Cricket Stadium. Sindh achieved the three-run victory target in the first over to notched up their first victory of the season.

Earlier, Sindh, replying to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s first innings score of 384, were dismissed after adding one run to their overnight score of 489 for nine to earn a 106-run first innings lead.

But as the match appeared to head for a draw, Abrar demonstrated why he is one of the finest and highly-rated spinner in the circuit when he bamboozled the middle-order that slipped from 38 for one to 108 all-out. Abrar accounted for Sahibzada Farhan (12), Kamran Ghulam (0), Nabi Gul (4), Arshadullah (6) and Imran Khan Snr (4).

This was Abrar’s second match of the season. In his opening match against ATF Southern Punjab, Abrar had recorded match figures of 11 for 194. Abrar now has 20 wickets in two matches, with Sindh’s fifth round match against Balochistan at the Pindi Cricket Stadium. Overall, Abrar has claimed 53 wickets in nine first-class matches.

Abrar was well supported by Mohammad Umar, who claimed three wickets for 17 runs to finish the match with seven for 104.

At the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, Central Punjab’s Ahmad Safi Abdullah returned figures of 50-12-132-6 but his side’ match against Northern ended into a high-scoring draw. Northern, replying to Central Punjab’s 509 for nine declared and resuming at 425 for four, were 651 for nine when match ended.

Northern’s Sarmad Bhatti, who had started the day at 102, was dismissed after scoring 140 (345 balls, 15x4), while Mubasir Khan, who was 70 overnight, scored 79 (127 balls, 10x4, 1x6). On Tuesday, Aamir Jamal scored 80 not out (146 balls, 11x4, 1x6) and Nauman Ali contributed 69 (102 balls, 11x4) as the two batters added 120 runs for the eighth wicket.

At the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, the match between Balochistan and ATF Southern Punjab also ended in a draw.

After securing a 16-run first innings lead and resuming the day at 36 for one, Balochistan were 295 for six when play ended. Haris Sohail was 133 not out, his 14th first-class century, and added 106 runs for the fifth wicket with Husain Talat (31).

Haris, who faced 188 balls and struck 16 fours and four sixes, also put on 47 runs for the fourth wicket with Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (65).

Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (fourth round, day four):

Sindh beat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by 10 wickets at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 384, 115.2 overs (Mohammad Sarwar Afridi 148, Kamran Ghulam 93, Sahibzada Farhan 53, Rehan Afridi 47; Mohammad Umar 4-87, Abrar Ahmed 4-130, Mir Hamza 2-51) and 108 all-out (Ashfaq Ahmed 37, Rehan Afridi 28; Abrar Ahmed 5-29, Mohammad Umar 3-17)

Sindh (overnight 489-9) 490 all-out, 138 overs (Khurram Manzoor 116, Saud Shakeel 105, Omair Bin Yousuf 105, Mohammad Hasan 47 not out, Saim Ayub 42, Asif Mahmood 31; Ihsanullah 3-109, Sajid Khan 3-127) and 4-0

Match points: Sindh 21 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 4

Central Punjab drew with Northern at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Central Punjab 509-9d, 140 overs (Azhar Ali 219, Tayyab Tahir 114, Ali Shan 55, Abdullah Shafique 32, Mohammad Saad 27; Mehran Mumtaz 3-111, Nauman Ali 3-173, Mubasir Khan 2-76)

Northern (overnight 425-4) 651-9d, 197.1 overs (Sarmad Bhatti 140, Aamir Jamal 80 not out, Mubasir Khan 79, Faizan Riaz 74, Nauman Ali 69, Umar Amin 68, Mohammad Huraira 62; Ahmed Safi Abdullah 6-132)

Match points: Central Punjab 10 Northern 9

ATF Southern Punjab drew with Balochistan at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium

Balochistan 346, 127 overs (Asad Shafiq 106, Ali Waqas 45, Haris Sohail 37, Haseebullah 33, Imran Butt 30, Khurram Shahzad 26 not out; Sameen Gul 5-84, Muhammad Imran Randhawa 3-75) and 295-6 (Haris Sohail 133 not out, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai 65, Husain Talat 31, Imran Butt 24, Mohammad Imran Randhawa 2-43, Sameen Gul 2-46)

ATF Southern Punjab 330, 96.5 overs (Usman Salahuddin 88, Sharoon Siraj 73, Mohammad Imran Randhawa 53, Salman Ali Agha 44; Najeebullah Achakzai 5-90, Kashif Bhatti 2-78, Khurram Shehzad 2-83)

Match points: Balochistan 10 ATF Southern Punjab 9

 

[pak.cricket]

If Abrar can learn to bowl a leg spinner, he would become a top test bowler but we also know that ain't never happening. His action won't allow consistent leg spin

Have you ever watched abrar's bowling closely? He does not bowl a leg spinner. He bowls a carrom ball which he flicks with his middle finger and a carrom ball is supposed to turn as much as abrar's delivery. Moreover, he bowls a googly. He is a mystery spinner rather than a leg spinner. You need to stop treating him like a leg spinner. His bowling has very close resemblance to mujeeb and theskshana.

 

[Bewal Express]

Have you ever watched abrar's bowling closely? He does not bowl a leg spinner. He bowls a carrom ball which he flicks with his middle finger and a carrom ball is supposed to turn as much as abrar's delivery. Moreover, he bowls a googly. He is a mystery spinner rather than a leg spinner. You need to stop treating him like a leg spinner. His bowling has very close resemblance to mujeeb and theskshana.

You can call what you Want but it's got to spin away and sharply with control.

 

[Nasty Naz]

Sindh win despite Saud's poor captaincy. Abrar just ran through their middle order despite what it looked like a bit of a flat pitch.

His wicket against Ghulam in particular was really nice to see. Ghulam tried to defend it like an off-spinner but Abrar got a slight turn the other way and ended up being a simple catch.

 

[Xoib]

It does not matter if Abrar is not a big turner as long as his lines and length are consistent and he can get one to go slightly away he will do well on atleast Asian tracks.

20 wickets in 2 games @17 makes him far and away the best bowler in the championship

 

[ChTab]

It does not matter if Abrar is not a big turner as long as his lines and length are consistent and he can get one to go slightly away he will do well on atleast Asian tracks.

20 wickets in 2 games @17 makes him far and away the best bowler in the championship

Totally, Yasir Shah one of our most successful spinner in tests & Afridi the most successful spinner in ODI's weren't big turners as well but they did have very good control over line & lengths.