Lahore, 30 November: Defending champions Sialkot and Karachi Blues will face each other in the five-day final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, starting Monday at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
Karachi Blues qualified for the final by finishing on top of the league stage with 161 points, while Sialkot secured their place with 155 points, finishing second.
It is worth recalling that Sialkot defeated Peshawar by one wicket in a thrilling final last season.
Both teams appear balanced in batting and bowling departments. Karachi Blues’ batting has been boosted by young wicketkeeper–batter Saad Baig, who is the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 930 runs, including four centuries and three fifties. Shan Masood has contributed 562 runs with two centuries and two fifties.
In bowling, Karachi Blues’ Saqib Khan has taken 38 wickets, making him joint second among the top wicket-takers.
For Sialkot, Azan Owais has scored 790 runs with three centuries and three fifties, while Mohammad Huraira has accumulated 560 runs, including one century and two fifties. This will be Huraira’s fifth consecutive Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final. He represented Sialkot last year, Faisalabad in 2023, and Northern in 2020 and 2021.
In bowling, Mohammad Ali (28 wickets) and Mehran Mumtaz (24 wickets) have been notable performers for Sialkot.
Sialkot captain Usama Mir said the team is playing this tournament with the same mindset that made them champions last season. He added that the bowlers performed well on both fast and spin-friendly pitches, and the team lost only one of its nine matches. He praised the team’s combination, saying they have quality players in every department. Calling the final a pressure game and the “summary of the whole season,” he said the aim is to play it like a true final and make it a memorable one.
Karachi Blues captain Saud Shakeel said it has been a long season, starting from the Hanif Mohammad Trophy and now reaching the final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. He praised his players’ efforts and said young talent has also been given opportunities. Keeping Karachi’s proud history in the tournament in mind, he urged his players to showcase their best skills because “finals don’t come often.” He added that for some players, it will be their first time playing at the newly renovated Gaddafi Stadium, so they should enjoy the moment
Sialkot Squad
Usama Mir (captain), Mohammad Huraira, Azan Owais (U21), Abdullah Shafique, Mohsin Riaz (vice-captain), Abdul Rehman, Mohammad Waleed, Hamza Nazar, Afzal Manzoor, Mehran Mumtaz, Hasan Ali, Athar Mahmood, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Hasnain Khan.
Support Staff: Naveed Latif (Head Coach), Shahid Yousuf (Assistant Coach), Faisal Khan (Fielding Coach), Mohammad Ibrahim (Performance Analyst), Mohammad Tariq (Physiotherapist), Shehbaz Khurshid (Strength & Conditioning Coach), Hasan Nadeem (Team Manager).
Karachi Blues Squad
Saud Shakeel (captain), Shan Masood, Saad Baig, Abdullah Fazal, Haroon Arshad, Usman Khan, Danish Aziz, Rameez Aziz, Ghazi Ghori, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Asghar, Saqib Khan, Mohammad Umar, Mohammad Hamza, Mushtaq Ahmed.
Support Staff: Iqbal Imam (Head Coach), Tahir Mahmood (Assistant Coach), Wajid Ali (Fielding Coach), Dr. Ahmad Ali Khan (Physiotherapist), Waqar Ali Syed (Strength & Conditioning Coach), Shakir Khilji (Analyst), Mohammad Ahmad Naqvi (Team Manager).