Pakistan National T20 Cup 2023-24: Tournament Thread

Which side will win the National T20 Cup 2023/24?

  • Larkana Region

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Hyderabad Region

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Karachi Blues

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Lahore Blues

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Rawalpindi Region

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • FATA Region

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Multan Region

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Sialkot Region

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Abbottabad Region

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    15
  • Poll closed .
I believe the quality of the tournament will improve when the super 8s kick in.

It’s good that these weak teams also had their fair chance
 
Street Cricket display from Larkana. Shocking fielding
 
National T20 2023-24 toss update:

Islamabad won the toss and decided to field first against Lahore Blues at UBL Sports Complex, Karachi

Quetta won the toss and decided to field first against Larkana at NBP Sports…
 
Oh man watching teams like Larkana and Dera Murad is woeful and I cannot believe they are professional cricketers.
 
National T20 2023-24 toss update:

Islamabad won the toss and decided to field first against Lahore Blues at UBL Sports Complex, Karachi

Quetta won the toss and decided to field first against Larkana at NBP Sports…
Larkana has set a target of 126 for Quetta to chase.
The score of Quetta is 4/0 after 1 over.
 
National T20 2023-24 toss update:

Islamabad won the toss and decided to field first against Lahore Blues at UBL Sports Complex, Karachi

Quetta won the toss and decided to field first against Larkana at NBP Sports…
Lahore Blues have scored 154/7 in their 20 overs.
Islamabad's chase will be starting soon.
 
Larkana has set a target of 126 for Quetta to chase.
The score of Quetta is 4/0 after 1 over.
Quetta is struggling to get this chase on track. They have scored 58 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in 9 overs while chasing a low total of 126.
 
Scores in brief

Lahore Blues beat Islamabad by five runs at UBL Sports Complex
Lahore Blues 154-7, 20 overs (Qasim Akram 64, Imran Butt 52; Umair Afridi 3-30, Mohammad Hammad Khan 1-13, Farmanullah Khan 1-27, Ali Imran 1-31)
Islamabad 149 all out, 19.4 overs (Sarmad Bhatti 45, Ali Imran 26, Hammad Siddique 22; Usman Qadir 3-28, Nisar Ahmad 2-28, Kashif Bhatti 2-29, Hussain Talat 1-19, Umaid Asif 1-25)

Larkana beat Quetta by 15 runs at NBP Sports Complex
Larkana 125 all out, 20 overs (Imtiaz Legari 48 not out, Mohammad Umar 26; Salahuddin 3-2, Faheem Rasheed 3-11, Bohir Aman 2-32, Jalat Khan 1-24)
Quetta 110 all out, 19.5 overs (Jalat Khan 25, Sanaullah Khan 18; Zahid Mehmood 2-15, Mushtaq Ahmed 2-15, Faraz Aziz 2-16, Ali Haider 1-14, Mehroz Ali 1-19, Imtiaz Legari 1-26)
 
Karachi Whites win the toss and decide to field first against Hyderabad at National Bank Stadium, Karachi
 
Watch some shots from young, talented Aun Shehzad who scored 76 off 47 deliveries for Bahawalpur against Rawalpindi in the ongoing National T20 Cup.

 
Karachi Whites beat Hyderabad by seven wickets at National Bank Stadium

Hyderabad 102 all out, 18.4 overs (Tayyab Ali Shah 32, Daniyal Hussain Rajput 30; Sohail Khan 5-10, Ghulam Mudassar 3-6, Arif Yaqoob 1-23)
Karachi Whites 103-3, 12.1 overs (Ammad Alam 53, Khurram Manzoor 19; Asad Malik 1-22, Asim Jutt 1-23)
 
Can I just say the cricket in this tourney is incredibly low quality. The batting is technically horrific. We have a huge problem with technique on a grass roots level. If this continues we will reach a point of no return and will no longer be able to produce world class players.
 
Lahore Whites win the toss and decide to field first against Karachi Blues at National Bank Stadium, Karachi.
 
Irfan looks the best arm left spinner in PK, nice action and decent loop. Can't tell if he can spin the ball but better than baba Naumi
 
Can I just say the cricket in this tourney is incredibly low quality. The batting is technically horrific. We have a huge problem with technique on a grass roots level. If this continues we will reach a point of no return and will no longer be able to produce world class players.
How dare you, the system that produced this dross has just returned. It will do better this time
 
The quality will get better as the smaller regions get filtered out.

Anyone watch this guy Ammad Alam bat. He looks a serious talent
 
Asghar bowling and bowling well. Maybe maybe the guy can fulfil his talent. He has nice action and just needs to concentrate on bowling on off stump but his run up is too short
 
The Ahmad Shahzad we know is back

Guy played so well in the last game having played selflessly but is back to his selfish best today knowing the PR machine is in full swing to get him back into the team
 
Now Shazzy opening up

Don’t tell me this guy will not play like he did last game ever again? Pakistan already has these crappy accumulator openers in the powerplay
 
Asgher still good enough to bowl.

Where did this guy go?
 
Umar akmal technique looks decent for a no 10. Looks a genuine tailender these days. No wonder he couldn’t even get into FC cricket. Should call it a day.
 
The quality will get better as the smaller regions get filtered out.

Anyone watch this guy Ammad Alam bat. He looks a serious talent
I have watched him in this tournament in a game. He strikes the ball well. Although he has a couple of things that needs to be fixed.

But he's the kid of talent that you need to groom. I hope someone picks him up this PSL.
 
Karachi, 28 November 2023: The last day of the group stage of the AH Group Presents Jazz Super 4G National T20 Cup 2023-24 witnessed eight teams in action across three venues in Karachi. In Group A, Larkana and Lahore Whites registered wins while in Group B, Lahore Blues and Karachi Whites emerged on top in their respective fixtures.

Super Eight Qualifications

Super Eight qualifications for Group C and Group D were finalised on Monday. Rawalpindi and Abbottabad, with six and four points respectively, were the top two teams in Group C. Sialkot and FATA, with four points each, progressed ahead after completion of the Group D fixtures. Lahore Blues and Karachi Whites from Group B secured berths for the Super Eight stage after beating Islamabad and Hyderabad respectively. Lahore Blues remained unbeaten, accumulating eight points, while Karachi Whites had six points. From Group A, Peshawar and Lahore Whites – with six points each – have qualified for the next stage of the National T20 Cup.

Group A

Larkana successfully defended a low total, beating Quetta by 15 runs at NBP Stadium. Batting first, Larkana were dismissed for 125. Imtiaz Legari (48 not out, 24b, 5x4s, 3x6s) was the highest scorer for the side as Faheem Rasheed and Salahuddin got two wickets each. In turn, Quetta could only manage 110 in 19.5 overs, with all of Larkana bowlers returning with at least a wicket each to restrict the opposition in their chase.

Ahmed Shehzad (72 not out, 52b, 5x4s, 4x6s) took charge in Lahore Whites’ chase to help them cruise to 154-3 in 18 overs against Karachi Blues at National Bank Stadium, ensuring that the side qualifies for the Super Eight stage. Earlier, Karachi Blues had been restricted to 150-7 in 20 overs with Muneeb Wasif, Mohammad Amir Khan and Ahmed Daniyal picking up two wickets each.

Group B

At UBL Sports Complex, Lahore Blues narrowly defeated Islamabad to secure a spot in the Super Eight stage. Half-centuries by Qasim Akram (64, 51b, 6x4s, 1x6) and Imran Butt (52, 38b, 4x4s, 2x6s) took Lahore Blues to 154-7 in 20 overs. In response, Islamabad were dismissed for 149 in 19.4 overs, losing the game by five runs. Leg-spinner Usman Qadir got three wickets, while Nisar Ahmad and Kashif Bhatti returned with two each.

Karachi Whites defeated Hyderabad by seven wickets at National Bank Stadium to claim a spot in the Super Eight stage of the National T20 Cup. Hyderabad were dismissed for 102 in 18.4 overs courtesy of a five-fer by right-arm pacer Sohail Khan and a three-wicket haul by left-arm fast bowler Ghulam Mudassar. In turn, Karachi Whites chased the target in just 12.1 overs, driven by a half-century by Ammad Alam (53, 33b, 5x4s, 4x6s).

Scores in brief:

Group A

Larkana beat Quetta by 15 runs at NBP Sports Complex


Larkana 125 all out, 20 overs (Imtiaz Legari 48 not out, Mohammad Umar 26; Salahuddin 3-2, Faheem Rasheed 3-11, Bohir Aman 2-32, Jalat Khan 1-24)

Quetta 110 all out, 19.5 overs (Jalat Khan 25, Sanaullah Khan 18; Zahid Mehmood 2-15, Mushtaq Ahmed 2-15, Faraz Aziz 2-16, Ali Haider 1-14, Mehroz Ali 1-19, Imtiaz Legari 1-26)

Lahore Whites beat Karachi Blues by seven wickets at National Bank Stadium

Karachi Blues 150-7, 20 overs (Mohammad Taha 41, Kashif Ali 39 not out, Bahadur Ali 25; Ahmed Daniyal 2-20, Mohammad Amir Khan 2-23, Muneeb Wasif 2-38, Kamran Afzal 1-25)

Lahore Whites 154-3, 18 overs (Ahmed Shehzad 72 not out, Tayyab Tahir 30; Bahadur Ali 1-17, Mohammad Asghar 1-19, Saqib Khan 1-38)

Group B

Lahore Blues beat Islamabad by five runs at UBL Sports Complex


Lahore Blues 154-7, 20 overs (Qasim Akram 64, Imran Butt 52; Umair Afridi 3-30, Mohammad Hammad 1-13, Farmanullah Khan 1-27, Ali Imran 1-31)

Islamabad 149 all out, 19.4 overs (Sarmad Bhatti 45, Ali Imran 26, Hammad Siddique 22; Usman Qadir 3-28, Nisar Ahmad 2-28, Kashif Bhatti 2-29, Hussain Talat 1-19, Umaid Asif 1-25)

Karachi Whites beat Hyderabad by seven wickets at National Bank Stadium

Hyderabad 102 all out, 18.4 overs (Tayyab Ali Shah 32, Daniyal Hussain Rajput 30; Sohail Khan 5-10, Ghulam Mudassar 3-6, Arif Yaqoob 1-23)

Karachi Whites 103-3, 12.1 overs (Ammad Alam 53 not out, Khurram Manzoor 19; Asad Malik 1-22, Asim Jutt 1-23)

Source: PCB
 
I would never want to incur the wrath of the Almighty by making fun of someone’s means to livelihood
 
No one is making fun. I am sure the Almighty would want us to work for our living, let's these guys work hard and into the proper teams.
 
I would never want to incur the wrath of the Almighty by making fun of someone’s means to livelihood
The 6 team regional setup came under a lot of criticism by former players, anti Imran journalists and politicians.PCB can’t provide livelihood to hundreds of mediocre cricketers.It is not it’s job.Anyone who wants to play cricket at professional level should have talent.If he is not good enough then he should try other career.It is the government’s duty to provide jobs,education,healthcare and housing.
 
Why is Shadab Khan not playing??

I accept that he's not an ODI bowler. But he's still a decent T20 player. And if he's to play in the T20I WC next year, he should be playing in the National T20 Cup, not just PSL or other leagues.

It's not like he's in the squad for Australia Tests and therefore can't play in the National T20 Cup.

And the T20I's against NZ don't start till Jan.

So what's the reason?
 
A new era of T20 cricket under a new regime begins in Pakistan. Really looking forward to this tournament and keeping a close eye on how things unfold considering the new management and selection committee. The doors will now hopefully be open for every deserving player in Pakistan cricket to show what they are capable of and make strides towards the national side. World Cup 2024 is the goal, and a new hope under Shaheen glimmers, as long as the selection of the national side is honest in accordance to batting positions and deserving bowling options

Some questions that I am seeking answers too in this tournament…

1. Will Amir and Imad play? A lot of talk sitting outside…the ship may have sailed for them for One Day cricket but both are capable to represent Pakistan in the shortest format.

Less talk, get your regional gears on and put your money where your mouth is!

2. Will we see a re-invented Babar Azam? At number 3 perhaps? He’s seen very closely how the big boys of white ball cricket play when batting in the powerplay (Rohit, Warner, Marsh, Head, DeQock, Ravindra etc).

Will we finally see the unshackled, unrestrained Babar Azam?

3. All eyes on Abrar Ahmed. Everyone wanted him to play in the squad, well here is your chance to show why everyone was crying for you to be a part of the XI instead of sitting on the bench. Will he prove the management wrong by displaying white ball skills that we have been yearning for since Ajmal was banned?

4. All eyes on Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman, what positions will they bat for their regions? Pakistan see them as middle order batsmen apparently

5. Asif Afridi, Salman Irshad, Zaman Khan…time for you boys to make your mark now. 3 excellent T20 bowling prospects.

6. Haseebullah, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Abdullah Shafique, Sahibzada Farhan, Muhammad Hurraira…Are you boys ready to step up and play like the big boys? Pakistan cricket will move forward if it’s young guns are willing to break free. All players listed are capable of playing safe runs, safe approach 50s…but can they now take it to the next step and cut loose? Saim Ayub is fearless, and everyone wants him! can we see these boys ready to be fearless as well?

7. Mohammad Harris, time to dominate, break records. 13-15 ball fifties, 30-40 ball hundreds…that’s what you can achieve if you go for it son. Go for it!

8. Arshad Iqbal, Ihsanullah, Shahnawaz Dahani…Next World Cup in South Africa, a huge opportunity for Tall pacers.

9. Sufyan Muqeem and Faisal Akram…BIG DEMAND for left are chinaman bowlers, are you ready to step up for the call?

10. Aamer Jamal…A new hope in the pace all-rounders department. Will he be allowed to express himself in both Batting and Bowling the way an All-Rounder should be allowed to express themselves?

11. Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan, a big opportunity for a proper Test Class/FC level spinner to break into the Pakistan side and deliver 10 crucial overs like Maharaj delivers for South Africa..are these two ready to take up the challenge and finally provide Pakistan with a proper spinner’s option for the 2025 Champion’s trophy?

12. Mubasir Khan and Omair Bin Yousuf: Two highly exciting, talented middle order batting prospects with ability to power through. Massive opportunity for you two to now show what you are made of in this new Dawn!

13. Iftikhar Ahmed, are you gonna show that you can actually claim to be the strongest power hitter with performances you are capable of playing in T10, so why not bring that game into T20 and actually tear the roof down for once!

14. Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah…you boys have big daddy power, but you boys are batting too low to make that count. Step up, bat in the top 4 and show us that you can still offer a lot to Pakistan cricket.



Some of the few things that I am looking forward to. Maybe you guys can also highlight what you want to see in this tournament.

You forgot Shadab. He needs to rediscover his confidence. Why is he not playing?
 
Only domestic tournament worth watching is PSL otherwise the standards are pretty low.
PSL is not a domestic tournament. It is a franchise league with glitter and glamour of foreign players and fan entertainment experience.

But the die-hard Pakistan fan knows that the real deal needs to be domestic cricket, where the barrier of entry is lower.

Just as in India, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy holds more weight than IPL. Obviously the money is in the franchise leagues. But the domestic tournament is more competitive because players need to excel there in order to get drafted or selected for India.
 
Look at Lahore blues for example, it should be Qasim Akram being groomed into captaincy, a player with plenty of future potential and has been one of their best players too but yet, its Hussain Talat, a player who is extremely mediocre in T20's and has no international future as a player being made captain.

And then when those young players come up to the international side and Pakistan team needs leadership & captains, there is no experience amongst them.

Asad Shafiq as Karachi's captain - says all you need to know about our domestic setup. Even domestically, there should be better players who can play T20's. Same for Yasir Shah.

Are those PJL players like Arafat Minhas even in the squads?

Hussain Talat hasn't been given a fair number of chances. 1 ODI and 18 T20I's. The numbers are decent. He's got potential. We shouldn't only be looking at fresh U19 graduates.
 
Why stop at 1000 FC cricketers, why not 10,000 or 100,000. The job of the PCB is to promote systems that enable PK cricket to flourish. The rubbish on display isn't going to help anyone.

Well, this is how they learn. The lesser teams need to be given a chance at some point. Let them fizzle out now. The playoffs should have better quality cricket. You can tune out till then.
 
That's called a regional tournament.

Domestic cricket isn't the place for mass representation of people who aren't good at playing cricket.

Pakistan has 6 provinces which cover each inch of the country. If someone is from Larkana and they are good enough for domestic cricket then they can play for Sindh's team, the same goes for other people who are from smaller regions.

We don't need more than 8 teams right now, the talent just isn't there.

Disagree. There's plenty of talent that has been draining over the years. There's no reason why relatively young players like Sadaf Hussain, Sami Aslam, Ehsan Adil, Mukhtar Ahmed, Saad Ali, Muhammad Mohsin, Zia-ul-Haq, Raza Ali Dar, etc should leave Pakistan cricket in the peak of their careers. They were not retirement age.

The system is not paying them well enough.

The weaker teams will get weeded out and then the quality of this National T20 tournament will improve in the latter stages.
 
Seems like 50 percent of gully cricketers brought to play with international experienced players . Joke of tournament
That's exactly how you improve the standard of gully cricketers. That's how the domestic standard improves. We need them to play and learn form the national stars. But why aren't the Shadabs and Imads playing? Oh, Imad retired. Oh, Shadab is taking a break. Oh, Rauf is going to prioritize playing in BBL.

I'm so glad that Hafeez is doubling down and saying Pakistan-first. Now they need to make sure they can find ways to make it profitable.
 
The problem with this 18 team format is that a lot of teams are very substandard and they are carrying 6-9 very average quality Malnourished players and 3-5 decent, quality players. It could be argued that plenty of teams has diluted the standard of the quality of cricket especially in terms of fitness, fielding and batting.

However Pakistan is a predominantly one sport country with a 250 million population therefore it is equally vital to have a wider talent pool and to ensure all the potential players in our country, system get an opportunity to play cricket and with such a packed international calendar we need a busy domestic cricket structure where our nation team players in their free time are able to go back to domestic cricket for development purposes.

According to Salman Butt, the PCB recognizes this quantity diluting the quality of cricket problem therefore they are now considering introducing an additional pentangular 5-6 team 4 day, ODI and T20 tournaments once all the domestic regional and departmental tournaments are finished. All the international players and the top performers of the regional, department tournaments will be fitted into these 5-6 pentangular sides and the players who do well in this pentangular tournaments will have the best chance of being picked for Pakistan and the Shaheens team going forward.

The plan looks good on paper but where will the PCB have the time to fit in these additional pentangular tournaments? The time period from May to September is very hot, humid in Pakistan and playing cricket is impossible in this weather plus the international players will be busy with county, hundred, cpl, USA, Canada League commitments.

That's why they need to find ways to increase the value of the domestic setup and monetize it. I don't know how. But it has to pay the bills and disincentivize stars from playing in franchise league, and instead share their experience with the emerging talent.
 
Pakistan doesn’t have that quality they can hardly make 10 teams let alone 18
Disagree. There's plenty of talent that has been draining over the years. There's no reason why relatively young players like Sadaf Hussain, Sami Aslam, Ehsan Adil, Mukhtar Ahmed, Saad Ali, Muhammad Mohsin, Zia-ul-Haq, Raza Ali Dar, etc should leave Pakistan cricket in the peak of their careers. They were not retirement age.

The system is not paying them well enough.

This National T20 tournament doesn't have to be top quality. I know there are probably some good U19 players from PJL who could have done better than some of the players in this National T20 tournament. However, I like what Hafeez said about preventing them from getting attracted by the glamour of National T20 and PSL. He wants them to showcase their talent in FC first.

That's a long-term approach, which is something that PCB has historically lacked. I hope it pays off and I wish him luck.
 
Well, this is how they learn. The lesser teams need to be given a chance at some point. Let them fizzle out now. The playoffs should have better quality cricket. You can tune out till then.
Except the quality of the "better" teams isn't much better. The quality is poor and it ain't improving without reform and raising of standards. These crooks have no vision and don't like positive change
 
Disagree. There's plenty of talent that has been draining over the years. There's no reason why relatively young players like Sadaf Hussain, Sami Aslam, Ehsan Adil, Mukhtar Ahmed, Saad Ali, Muhammad Mohsin, Zia-ul-Haq, Raza Ali Dar, etc should leave Pakistan cricket in the peak of their careers. They were not retirement age.

The system is not paying them well enough.

This National T20 tournament doesn't have to be top quality. I know there are probably some good U19 players from PJL who could have done better than some of the players in this National T20 tournament. However, I like what Hafeez said about preventing them from getting attracted by the glamour of National T20 and PSL. He wants them to showcase their talent in FC first.

That's a long-term approach, which is something that PCB has historically lacked. I hope it pays off and I wish him luck.
So invest more in the talented players. And how do you square the circle of lots of rubbish players being paid to play as professionals when you want the better players to be paid more? Who stopped the mafia from investing more?
 
It’s the small things like this that show how little PCB cares.

As I said before, look at the sorry state of the stadiums, the kits, the camera quality of the TV footage.

It looks like a tournament hosted by a few uncles at local Masjid in US with the participants pooling together $10-15 each and one guy filming on his iPhone 5 from few years ago.

it’s the same effort in hiring coaches for youth teams, domestics teams, etc.

Hard to develop world class players in this amateur looking set-up.
 
Except the quality of the "better" teams isn't much better. The quality is poor and it ain't improving without reform and raising of standards. These crooks have no vision and don't like positive change

I agree reform is needed. The reality is that other than who they pick as Selectors, Captains, # of Teams, TV coverage of domestic games is only on the surface. Other than those who are on the inside, very few people know the inner workings of PCB. So even if there were some level of reform (like some way to compensate players better, or produce better pitches), most of us wouldn't know about it.

I will say this: politicians should be kept away from PCB leadership. Let people who actually know the game or are formally trained in sports administration be allowed to run it.
 
Disagree. There's plenty of talent that has been draining over the years. There's no reason why relatively young players like Sadaf Hussain, Sami Aslam, Ehsan Adil, Mukhtar Ahmed, Saad Ali, Muhammad Mohsin, Zia-ul-Haq, Raza Ali Dar, etc should leave Pakistan cricket in the peak of their careers. They were not retirement age.

The system is not paying them well enough.

The weaker teams will get weeded out and then the quality of this National T20 tournament will improve in the latter stages.
Wouldn't it make sense to have fewer teams in that case? Fewer teams would mean that the same budget would be distributed among fewer and more elite players, thus the best players wouldn't have to retire early.

There's no logic behind having teams like Larkana if the expectation is that we have to bare with them until they get kicked before the playoffs. Why have them play at all in that case?

If a team is so bad that we have to assume that it will be eliminated before the tournament even begins then the team in question doesn't deserve to play.

Most players in the weaker teams are worse than street cricketers.
 
As far as the lower ranked poor performing teams are concerned, you have to give them a couple of seasons to get up to speed. These teams and players were shut out from domestic cricket in the last 4 years
 
So far the quality of the WBBL has been greater than the National T20. Let's see if the quality picks up in the latter half of the tournament.
 
I am seeing some pacier bowlers and power hitter in this tournament which were unknown to me before so overall I think it got the job done of identifying unknown players.

Mustafa guy from Hyderabad looks good so as Ammad Alam and that RWP LFM pacer Faizan also looked good, Shahwaiz and Basit from PJL also playing and looking good and so as Zia Ullah the spinner who can actually turn the ball.
 
Tahir Hussain also looking good and seems to be operating between 135-140k consistently and is tall as well. One uncle spinner I have noticed is also good and one Karachi leg spinner who is young and I am forgetting his name is also very good and very consistent with his length and can turn the ball both ways (very slow turn though)
 


National-t20-cup-2023-24.jpg

The Super Eight stage of National T20 Cup 2023-24 is scheduled to be played from 1 to 8 December 2023 at three venues across Karachi – National Bank Stadium, UBL Sports Complex and NBP Sports Complex.

The eight teams progressing from the group stage will be facing each other in a round-robin format, playing seven games each. The top four teams will then play the semi-finals, scheduled for 9 December at National Bank Stadium. The final will also be played at the same venue on 10 December.

Pakistan Cricket Board has also announced free entry for spectators for the matches scheduled at National Bank Stadium. Three enclosures – Hanif Mohammad, Javed Miandad and Fazal Mahmood – will be accessible to the spectators.

The teams that have qualified for the Super Eight include: Peshawar and Lahore Whites from Group A, Lahore Blues and Karachi Whites from Group B, Rawalpindi and Abbottabad from Group C, and Sialkot and FATA from Group D.

Lahore Whites’ right-handed batter Ahmed Shehzad has been the leading run-scorer in the tournament thus far. The 32-year-old produced three consecutive half-centuries and accumulated 213 runs from three matches. Rawalpindi’s Zeeshan Malik and Peshawar’s Sahibzada Farhan are the two centurions of the tournament up till now.

Umair Afridi, Islamabad’s left-arm pacer, has the most wickets in the tournament so far. In four matches, the 26-year-old has taken 12 wickets. However, Islamabad failed to qualify for the Super Eight stage. Amongst the teams that have progressed ahead, Karachi Whites’ leg spinner Arif Yaqoob has the most wickets with a tally of nine scalps at 10.44, including a four-wicket haul. His fellow teammate, right-arm pacer Sohail Khan has the best bowling figures of the tournament so far with 5-10, which came against Hyderabad.

Hyderabad’s Akbar Khan has been the most successful wicket-keeper in the tournament till now, bagging a total of seven dismissals including four catches and three stumpings. Karachi Whites’ Asad Shafiq has been the most successful fielder with six catches in four matches.

Four matches have been scheduled for each day of the Super Eight stage, while there will be no play on 5 December. All games played at National Bank Stadium will be broadcast on PTV Sports and ARY ZAP in Pakistan and live-streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel and Facebook page in overseas territories. The afternoon games that are being broadcast will start at 1500 PKT, with toss conducted at 1430 PKT. Toss for evening games will take place at 1930 PKT and the first ball will be bowled at 2000 PKT.

The first set of fixtures, to be played on 1 December, are as follows:

1300 PKT - Rawalpindi v Abbottabad at UBL Sports Complex

1300 PKT - Sialkot v FATA at NBP Sports Complex

1500 PKT - Peshawar v Lahore Whites at National Bank Stadium

2000 PKT - Lahore Blues v Karachi Whites at National Bank Stadium

Director - Domestic Cricket Operations, Nadeem Khan: “The National T20 Cup has seen multiple close games so far which reflects the competitive cricket on display in our revised domestic structure. We hope that the quality of cricket will only improve as we head into the Super Eight stage.

“All eight teams that have qualified ahead are exciting to watch. We are looking forward to seeing how the rest of the tournament pans out, with the title at stake, which all eight captains must be eying. The fight for the trophy will be very interesting as each team has a solid chance at getting to and winning the final.”

Source: PCB
 
Shadab back

Where will the other non traveling Pakistan squad players play?
 
So far the quality of the WBBL has been greater than the National T20. Let's see if the quality picks up in the latter half of the tournament.
That's an apples and oranges comparison.
  1. Franchise league, not domestic tournament
  2. Not just any franchise league like LPL or BPL or someplace where there isn't money, but rather WBBL, which has deep pockets.
Fingers crossed for playoffs🤞
 
Yasir Shah looking like tele tubby. He hasn't been missing his meals when out of the team.
 
That's an apples and oranges comparison.
  1. Franchise league, not domestic tournament
  2. Not just any franchise league like LPL or BPL or someplace where there isn't money, but rather WBBL, which has deep pockets.
Fingers crossed for playoffs🤞
Every player from top to bottom, who has not played for Pakistan, appears to be a bonafide leg-side hack swinging across the line in this tournament. The only exception I see is Omair bin Yousuf who is relatively better than the dross on display but even he is not international level. But by God, the others are all hopeless. If these 19-22-year-olds are Pakistan cricket's future, then Pakistan is in a heap of trouble ahead.

Let's not even discuss the bowlers. It is an insult calling fast bowlers in this tournament, bowlers even. They are just there to throw the ball.
 
I wish they allowed Sahibzada Farhan to continue captaining Peshawar instead of Chacha. While Ifti is doing well. Sahibzada won them the Pakistan Cup with such a young team. It suggests he has some wits about him as captain. Time for Pehsawar to groom their future captain.
 
Every player from top to bottom, who has not played for Pakistan, appears to be a bonafide leg-side hack swinging across the line in this tournament. The only exception I see is Omair bin Yousuf who is relatively better than the dross on display but even he is not international level. But by God, the others are all hopeless. If these 19-22-year-olds are Pakistan cricket's future, then Pakistan is in a heap of trouble ahead.

Let's not even discuss the bowlers. It is an insult calling fast bowlers in this tournament, bowlers even. They are just there to throw the ball.
It is T20. Don't expect stylish orthodox play.

I've been watching the games. Outfield at NSK is horrible. That explains some of the poor ground fielding. Nevertheless, catching has a lot of room for improvement.
 
It is T20. Don't expect stylish orthodox play.

I've been watching the games. Outfield at NSK is horrible. That explains some of the poor ground fielding. Nevertheless, catching has a lot of room for improvement.
So I shouldn't be expecting an off-side delivery being played on the off-side? Got it.
 
So I shouldn't be expecting an off-side delivery being played on the off-side? Got it.
I'm seeing plenty of off-side strokes as well as reverse sweeps.

What do you want after all? When the national side was playing the ball to its merit textbook style, people were complaining that they weren't "showing enough intent" and were playing 1990's style cricket.
 
I'm seeing plenty of off-side strokes as well as reverse sweeps.
It took me 2 minutes to dig up one example here. Again, this is not the QeA Trophy or Pakistan Cup where players must exhibit proper batting technique.
 
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As far as the lower ranked poor performing teams are concerned, you have to give them a couple of seasons to get up to speed. These teams and players were shut out from domestic cricket in the last 4 years
The squads needs to be better balanced.
 
National T20 Cup Super Eight toss update:

Rawalpindi win the toss and elect to bat first against Abbottabad at UBL Sports Complex, Karachi

Sialkot win the toss and decide to field first against FATA at NBP Sports Complex, Karachi

WhatsApp Image 2023-12-01 at 12.11.33_49428f4a.jpg

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Fata Region is all out for 103 against Sialkot Region in 16.5 overs. Sialkot has to chase down a modest total of 104 in 20 overs to win their first match of Super 8 stage.
 
Rawalpindi Region scored 179/7 in their 20 overs against Abbottabad Region in the 2nd encounter of the Super 8 stage.
 
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