The opening day of the 68th edition of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QEAT) was completely washed out due to persistent rain affecting all venues, including Abbottabad, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Peshawar. The inclement weather forced organizers to call off all scheduled matches on Monday, delaying the start of Pakistan’s premier first-class cricket tournament.
The first round of the 10-team tournament is scheduled to continue from October 6 to 9, with Sialkot entering the competition as the defending champion. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced prize money of PKR 7.5 million for the winners and PKR 4 million for the runners-up.
Additionally, a player of the match award of PKR 25,000 will be given in each league match, while the player of the final will receive PKR 100,000. At the end of the tournament, the best bowler, batter, wicket-keeper, and overall player of the tournament will each receive PKR 250,000.
As part of the PCB’s player development initiative, each team is required to field at least one U21 player in their playing XI. The 10 teams participating include Abbottabad, Bahawalpur, FATA, Faisalabad, Islamabad, Karachi Blues, Lahore Whites, Multan, Peshawar, and Sialkot. FATA, Faisalabad, Karachi Blues, and Multan qualified for the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy through the Hanif Mohammad Trophy.
Prominent players, including wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Hasan Ali, and Sajid Khan, are representing their respective regions in the tournament following directives from PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
The first-round fixtures scheduled for October 6–9 included: Abbottabad vs Bahawalpur at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Lahore Whites vs Islamabad at Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi, Peshawar vs Sialkot at Imran Khan Stadium, Peshawar, FATA vs Multan at Diamond Cricket Ground, Islamabad, and Faisalabad vs Karachi Blues at Marghzar Cricket Ground, Islamabad. All matches have been postponed due to the heavy rain, and the PCB is monitoring weather conditions to resume play at the earliest possible opportunity.
