Which side will win the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2020/21?

[MenInG]

A few players missing due to national duties could make sides weak but competition looks tough this year - the 2nd year of the new system.

So who is your favourite to win this tournament?

 

[MenInG]

The point system:


To encourage the six Cricket Association sides to play an attacking and positive brand of cricket, the Pakistan Cricket Board has introduced a result-oriented points system in the PCB Paying Conditions for the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, which commences from Sunday, 25 October.

The 31-match tournament will be played across four Karachi venues, including the National Stadium, which will stage the five-day final from 1-5 January 2021.

To encourage the batsmen to increase their strike-rates, the PCB, in a major switch, has decided to reward five batting points to sides who will reach the 400-run mark inside 100 overs in the first innings.

According to the amended playing conditions, bonus batting points will be awarded as follows (first innings only):

· 200 runs inside 100 overs – 1 point

· 250 runs inside 100 overs – 2 points

· 300 runs inside 100 overs – 3 points

· 350 runs inside 100 overs – 4 points

· 400 runs inside 100 overs – 5 points

On the other side of the coin, the PCB has introduced a two-fold bowling points system.

The over-based points system is as follows:

· Three wickets inside 100 overs – 1 point

· Six wickets inside 100 overs – 2 points

· Eight wickets inside 100 overs – 3 points


Additional all-out bonus points will be allocated as follows:

· 200 runs or less inside 100 overs – three points

· Between 201 and 250 runs inside 100 overs– two points

· Between 251 and 300 runs inside 100 overs – one point

To further elaborate and simplify the allocation of points, if Team A bowls out Team B for 175 runs in 90 overs, then Team A will pocket three points for collecting eight wickets inside 100 overs and another three points for restricting their opponents to inside 200 runs. In contrast, Team B will remain pointless for being unable to achieve the minimum threshold of 200 runs inside 100 overs.

Similarly, if Team C scores 275 for nine in 100 overs against Team D, then Team D will collect three bowling points for claiming eight wickets but will be unable to add an additional point for their failure to grab the last wicket. In contrast, Team C will get two bonus points for cross the 250-run mark inside 100 overs.

Meanwhile, the PCB has also amended certain playing conditions. The key changes are.

Clause 16.2 (d) shall now read as:

In case of a walk over or if a team refuses to play, following penalties shall be imposed.

1. The match shall stop there and then and will not be restarted

2. The Playing XI and the officials of the defaulting team shall be banned for 12 months (it will be a global ban)

3. All central contracts of that team will be cancelled

4. The team can still play the event with replaced players/officials

5. The points scored during that match will be nullified

6. The opponents to be awarded maximum points

Clause 1.2.8 deals with the scenario of a like-by-like replacement of a player who has tested positive for Covid-19

Clause 1.2.7 deals with concussion replacements

 

[aloo paratha]

Southern Punjab.

 

[MenInG]

As per PCB:

First innings points: Northern 2; Southern 11

Points to date: Central Punjab 3; Sindh 5

First innings points: Balochistan 9, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 2

 

[waheed_sofi]

Sindh or Central Punjab

 

[MenInG]

Match points: Northern 2; Southern Punjab 28

First innings points: Central Punjab 3; Sindh 6

First innings points: Balochistan 9, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 2

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Given the 4-day structure and nature of the pitches, I feel most games will move towards draws. Southern Punjab therefore has a huge advantage by bundling Northern out cheaply. I feel they will finish first.

Secondly, I think Balochistan has a case for coming second as both Sami Aslam and Imran Butt are some of the highest rated batters in the circuit.

Central Punjab and Northern are looking weak with their major players leaving for the national side, while Sindh is still reliant on the likes of Sarfaraz Ahmed and a declining Fawad Alam to score runs. I have a feeling Tabish will earn his international call-up for New Zealand replacing an injured Naseem Shah, further depleting their ranks.

The points table will likely look like this:
1. Southern Punjab
2. Balochistan
3. Sindh
4. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
5. Northern
6. Central Punjab

 

[Markhor]

Given the 4-day structure and nature of the pitches, I feel most games will move towards draws. Southern Punjab therefore has a huge advantage by bundling Northern out cheaply. I feel they will finish first.

Secondly, I think Balochistan has a case for coming second as both Sami Aslam and Imran Butt are some of the highest rated batters in the circuit.

Central Punjab and Northern are looking weak with their major players leaving for the national side, while Sindh is still reliant on the likes of Sarfaraz Ahmed and a declining Fawad Alam to score runs. I have a feeling Tabish will earn his international call-up for New Zealand replacing an injured Naseem Shah, further depleting their ranks.

The points table will likely look like this:
1. Southern Punjab
2. Balochistan
3. Sindh
4. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
5. Northern
6. Central Punjab

Central Punjab have a decent pace quartet though of Hasan Ali, Ehsan Adil, Waqas Maqsood and Ahmed Bashir. I'd be shocked if they go from 1st to 6th.

Northern I fear are in for a difficult season having lost their first match by an innings. They're somewhat a victim of their own success with Haider Ali and Haris Rauf now selected for Pakistan. Their batting looks very fragile.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Central Punjab have a decent pace quartet though of Hasan Ali, Ehsan Adil, Waqas Maqsood and Ahmed Bashir. I'd be shocked if they go from 1st to 6th.

Northern I fear are in for a difficult season having lost their first match by an innings. They're somewhat a victim of their own success with Haider Ali and Haris Rauf now selected for Pakistan. Their batting looks very fragile.

Maybe 5th, then, but I feel their batting lineup is a bit weak. And they don’t have a good spinner.

 

[MenInG]

Round 2 starting today - points table so far.

 

[MenInG]

Points gained from today:

Points to date: Central Punjab 1, Northern 6
Points to date: Balochistan 2, Southern Punjab 2
Points to date: Sindh 1, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 2

 

[MenInG]

Points as of today:

Points to date: Central Punjab 3, Northern 10
Points to date: Sindh 3, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 2
Points to date: Balochistan 5, Southern Punjab 4

 

[MenInG]

Points Today:

Match points: Central Punjab 3, Northern 26
Points to date: Balochistan 8, Southern Punjab 6
Points to date: Sindh 5, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 4

 

[MenInG]

Round 3 starts tomorrow.

Points table

 

[MenInG]

Points gained:

Points to date: Northern 3, Sindh 3

Points to date: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 2, Southern Punjab 2

Points to date: Balochistan 1, Central Punjab 2

 

[MenInG]

Points gained:

Points to date: Northern 8, Sindh 4

Points to date: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 4, Southern Punjab 5

Points to date: Balochistan 5, Central Punjab 4

 

[MenInG]

Points gained:

Points to date: Northern 8, Sindh 4

Points to date: Balochistan 7, Central Punjab 5

Points to date: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 6, Southern Punjab 5

 

[MenInG]

Points gained during Round 3:

Match points: Northern 24, Sindh 4
Match points: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 22, Southern Punjab 5
Match points: Balochistan 12, Central Punjab 10

 

[Thunderbolt14]

1. Southern Punjab (55)
2. Northern (52)
3. Balochistan (44)
4. Sindh (36)
5. KPK (33)
6. Central Punjab (16)

Very close race now, between all of the top 5.

Central Punjab, though, looks a ways away.

 

[Arsal_AK]

1. Southern Punjab (55)
2. Northern (52)
3. Balochistan (44)
4. Sindh (36)
5. KPK (33)
6. Central Punjab (16)

Very close race now, between all of the top 5.

Central Punjab, though, looks a ways away.

Next round should see Abdullah back at CP so hopefully they get a boost. Should slot in at four with Usman moving to 5.

I was going to say Rohail and Haider should be back with Northern too but then I remembered PSL.

Hasnain should boost Sindh's bowling. Zafar gets back to CP as well. Shadab too should be back if he is fit to play.

 

[MenInG]

 

[MenInG]

Points to date: Central Punjab 1, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 6

Points to date: Sindh 2, Southern Punjab 1

Points to date: Balochistan 2, Northern 1

 

[MenInG]

On Day 2 of Round 4:

First innings points: Central Punjab 5 (all bowling), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 7 (one batting, six bowling)
Points to date: Sindh 4 (all batting), Southern Punjab 2 (all bowling)
Points to date: Balochistan 3, Northern 2

 

[MenInG]

On Day 1 of Round 6 of QeA20:

Points to date: Southern Punjab 2, Northern 4

Points to date: Central Punjab 1, Sindh 1

Points to date: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 2, Balochistan 3

 

[MenInG]

 

[Bewal Express]

Is there a final?

 

[Thunderbolt14]

I’ve taken the liberty to calculate the bonus points won by each team, which are as follows after 6 matches. It’s a kind of “Positive Cricket Index” that tells you how much positive, aggressive cricket each team played.

1. Northern — 40 points
2. Balochistan — 39 points
3. Southern Punjab — 37 points
4. KPK — 34 points
5. Sindh — 33 points
6. Central Punjab — 28 points

Metrics:

Batting points (first innings only):
· 200 runs inside 100 overs – 1 point
· 250 runs inside 100 overs – 2 points
· 300 runs inside 100 overs – 3 points
· 350 runs inside 100 overs – 4 points
· 400 runs inside 100 overs – 5 points

Bowling points:
· Three wickets inside 100 overs – 1 point
· Six wickets inside 100 overs – 2 points
· Eight wickets inside 100 overs – 3 points

· 251-300 runs all out inside 100 overs – 1 point
· 201-250 runs all out inside 100 overs – 2 points
· 200 runs or less all out inside 100 overs – 3 points

So not only is Northern leading the overall win table points wise, but they have also played the best brand of cricket by a large margin. The same goes for Balochistan, where I’m pleasantly surprised about Faisal Iqbal’s performance so far.

 

[MenInG]

 

[shamaan]

Is thier a final ?

 

[MenInG]

Before Round 9:

 

[MenInG]

 

[Markhor]

Fantastic to see the finalist positions are going down to the last round.

This is the competitiveness and pressure cooker cricket we've needed in our domestic system for decades.

 

[MenInG]

So Northern v KPK - which side will win the final?

 

[Omer2002]

Should be good but i think KP have a better attack and more experience in winning

 

[The Googly]

Negative people will whinge no matter what as it becomes ingrained.
However - even the most negative will acknowledge that Pakistan first class cricket is slowly but surely improving. The competition is stronger and the games are becoming more competitive. This is exactly the type of tough, competitive cricket that was lacking. It’s still a work in progress but just wait till the next set of players emerge. The current set includes the dead wood. Future sets will inshallah be higher quality.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Negative people will whinge no matter what as it becomes ingrained.
However - even the most negative will acknowledge that Pakistan first class cricket is slowly but surely improving. The competition is stronger and the games are becoming more competitive. This is exactly the type of tough, competitive cricket that was lacking. It’s still a work in progress but just wait till the next set of players emerge. The current set includes the dead wood. Future sets will inshallah be higher quality.

The previous setup had too many teams.It was difficult to focus on players.Fewer teams means the dead wood can not hide anymore.Many people think 6 teams are too few considering Pakistan’s big population.May be another 2 teams can be created.Some deserving players are not getting opportunities.There should not be more than
8 teams though.With 8 teams you have 176 players to choose from(ist xi & 2nd xi).

 

[moghul]

The previous setup had too many teams.It was difficult to focus on players.Fewer teams means the dead wood can not hide anymore.Many people think 6 teams are too few considering Pakistan’s big population.May be another 2 teams can be created.Some deserving players are not getting opportunities.There should not be more than
8 teams though.With 8 teams you have 176 players to choose from(ist xi & 2nd xi).

I think 6 teams are enough . Even in these 6 teams some useless old players were playing to fill up the numbers , particularly when most of the national players were on national duty. What is purpose of players like Khurram Manzoor, Asad Shafiq , Imran Khan Sr, Azeem Ghumman, playing in QeA trophy , other than blocking some youngster's spot. They have zero chance of playing for Pakistan again.

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

I'd love to see Northern do it. KPK won everything last year plus this year's t20 cup as well. Plus they have this thing where no young batsmen are getting opportunities for them. Northern, on the other hand have been fun to watch. They've given us Hurraira, Mubasir Khan and Ather Mahmoud as young players to look forward to. Rohails had a full season to keep as well.

Plus, and this is a subjective take, the stats back Northern. They've turned around their form in the Karachi leg. They have the best performing batsmen in the Karachi leg whilst KPK have the best performing bowlers. In Karachi, the mean average of Northern batters is 42.0, whilst KPK is 27.8. The mean bowling average for KPK is 21.7 whilst for Northern is 22.9. So, Northern bat much better but KPK marginally bowl better. The pink ball may also play a factor.

Looking forward to it!