The 2017–18 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy was the 60th edition of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan's domestic first-classcricket competition. It was contested by 16 teams representing eight regional associations and eight departments,[a] and took place from 26 September to 25 December 2017, spanning almost two weeks less than originally planned.[1][2] Pakistan's former Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq was critical of the compressed schedule and the quality of the pitches saying "it takes time to prepare a good pitch for a game and nobody can make it in two days".[3]
The format of the competition remained the same as the previous season, with two round-robingroup stages and a final. The regions and departments were divided evenly between the two groups for the preliminary group stage, with the four top teams in each advancing to a "Super Eight" group stage; the top team in each of the Super Eight groups contested the final. In a change from 2016–17, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) introduced a draft system for the regional teams.[1][4]
With the aim of improving the competitiveness of the regional associations, partly by distributing experienced players among them, proposals for the introduction of a draft system were presented to the PCB's governing board on 28 July 2017.[7] The draft system gained approval after initial objections from some of the larger associations, led by Karachi, and a compromise was reached on the number of players to be selected via the draft.[8] Each regional team selected eight players via the draft, ten through the normal selection process along with two emerging players from the under-19 circuit.[8] The teams completed their player selection on 6 September 2017.[9][10]
Competition summary
Faisalabad and Pakistan Television made their returns to first-class competition after winning the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and Patron's Trophy Grade-II competitions respectively in 2016–17;[11][12] they replaced the relegated Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Karachi Blues in the competition.[13] Like the previous season, both promoted teams enjoyed only a brief stay in the top-tier as they were relegated at the end of the season.
On 26 November 2017, the dates for the first round of the Super Eight fixtures were postponed by the PCB, due to ongoing religious unrest which had also disrupted the fixture schedule for the 2017–18 National T20 Cup.[15] The Super Eight round was originally scheduled to start on 29 November 2017, but this was moved back to 3 December 2017.[16]
Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited won Group 1 of the Super Eight round, beating Lahore Blues by six wickets to advance to the final.[17] In the match, the first three innings were each completed without a side scoring three figures, the first time this had ever happened in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.[18] Water and Power Development Authority won Group 2, despite losing to Sui Southern Gas Corporation by seven wickets in their final match.[18]
In the final, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited beat Water and Power Development Authority by 103 runs to win the competition for the third time in the last four years.[6]Samiullah Khan was man of the match after he took his career-best bowling figures of 8 for 62 in the second innings and his 25th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.[6][19]
Teams
The following teams competed in the 2017–18 tournament:[20]
(Q) The top four teams in each group advanced to the Super Eight stage
Position determined by total points, most matches won, fewest matches lost, followed by adjusted net run rate (matches with no result, i.e. those where both teams did not complete their first innings, were disregarded); matches finishing in a draw were decided on first innings scores, with points awarded as follows:
Win by an innings = 10 points
Win having led on first innings = 9 points
Win having tied or trailed on first innings = 6 points
Tie having led on first innings = 5 points
Draw having led on first innings = 3 points
Draw having tied on first innings, or tie having trailed on first innings = 2 points
Draw with no result on first innings, or abandoned without a ball bowled = 1 point
Loss, or draw having trailed on first innings = 0 points
(Q) The top team in each group advanced to the final
Position determined by total points, most matches won, fewest matches lost, followed by adjusted net run rate (matches with no result, i.e. those where both teams did not complete their first innings, were disregarded); matches finishing in a draw were decided on first innings scores, with points awarded as follows:
Win by an innings = 10 points
Win having led on first innings = 9 points
Win having tied or trailed on first innings = 6 points
Tie having led on first innings = 5 points
Draw having led on first innings = 3 points
Draw having tied on first innings, or tie having trailed on first innings = 2 points
Draw with no result on first innings, or abandoned without a ball bowled = 1 point
Loss, or draw having trailed on first innings = 0 points
Water and Power Development Authority won the toss and elected to field.
Notes
^The top level of domestic cricket in Pakistan was historically played by teams representing regional cricket associations and departments, which were owned and run by corporations, institutions or government departments.
