Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam and One-day International skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi will lead opposing sides in the opening round of the 69th Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, which begins on Tuesday across venues in Islamabad, Abbottabad and Rawalpindi. Babar turns out for Lahore Whites against Shaheen-led Fata at the Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad, one of the early fixtures of the country’s premier first-class competition.
How the Gold and Silver tiers are set up
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday released the schedule and squads for the Gold and Silver competitions, which run at the same time and involve 20 regional teams. Eight sides contest the Gold title: Karachi Blues, Faisalabad, Fata, Lahore Whites, Islamabad, Peshawar Blues, Multan and Sialkot Blues. Gold matches run from Nov 3 to Dec 12, with the five-day final booked for Dec 15–19. The winners will be named champions of the 69th edition.
Twelve teams make up the Silver tier, split into two groups of six. Group A covers Lahore Blues, Rawalpindi, Larkana, Quetta, Bahawalpur and Peshawar Whites. Group B lists Karachi Whites, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Hyderabad, Dera Murad Jamali, Abbottabad and Sialkot Whites. Group A games are set for Karachi venues including the KCCA Stadium and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and UBL sports complexes. Group B fixtures are scheduled at Multan Cricket Stadium, the sports complex in Rahim Yar Khan and Dring Stadium in Bahawalpur.
Silver group matches are planned for Nov 3–30, with the final between the group winners on Dec 3–7. The Silver champions earn promotion to Gold for the next season. Across both tiers, 60 first-class matches are listed—29 in Gold and 31 in Silver—and both competitions carry first-class status. The PCB also noted that Peshawar and Sialkot will each field two teams in a first-class event for the first time.
Captains and key squad names
Several established Pakistan players hold captaincies. Saud Shakeel leads defending champions Karachi Blues, Mohammad Rizwan captains Peshawar Blues, Imam-ul-Haq is in charge of Multan, and Abdullah Shafique captains Sialkot Blues. In Silver, Mohammad Nawaz has been named skipper of Rawalpindi.
Lahore Whites’ Gold squad includes Babar alongside all-rounder Aamir Jamal, Tayyab Tahir and Noman Ali. Fata, under Shaheen, also lists Khushdil Shah and Mohammad Wasim Khan. Karachi Blues retain a strong group under Saud, with Saim Ayub and Omair Bin Yousuf among those named; Shan Masood, Abrar Ahmed and Mir Hamza appear in the reserves and national-duty pool. Peshawar Blues’ party under Rizwan includes Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Haris and Iftikhar Ahmed.
In Silver, Abbottabad have named Fakhar Zaman and Kamran Ghulam, while Rawalpindi’s list features Shadab Khan, Haider Ali, Mohammad Nawaz and Jahandad Khan. The PCB said teams will work with revolving rosters: 15 travelling members, with the option to call on reserves and players from the national-duty pool when they are free.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- Monday (ahead of Nov 3): The PCB announced the Gold and Silver schedules and team rosters.
- Nov 3: Opening round begins; Gold and Silver fixtures start, including Lahore Whites v Fata in Islamabad.
- Nov 3–30: Silver group-stage matches.
- Dec 3–7: Silver final between the two group winners; winners gain Gold promotion for the next season.
- Nov 3–Dec 12: Gold-tier competition window.
- Dec 15–19: Five-day Gold final to decide the 69th Quaid-e-Azam Trophy champions.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Pakistan ka bara first-class cricket tournament hai, aur is dafa 69th edition 3 November se shuru ho rahi hai. Babar Azam Lahore Whites ke liye khelenge aur Shaheen Afridi Fata ki captaincy karenge—dono Islamabad mein ek match mein aamne-samne honge. Gold aur Silver mil kar bees regional teams aur 60 matches hain. Cricket fans ke liye yeh domestic season ka important shuruat ka mauqa hai, jahan national stars apni regions ke liye khelte nazar aayenge.
