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| February 24, 2006 | Friday | Muharram 25, 1427 |
Twenty20 Cup goes into action today
KARACHI, Feb 23: The second edition of the popular Twenty20 Cup cricket tournament starts here on Friday with the Faisalabad Wolves defending their title.
The champions take on the Peshawar Panthers in an evening match at the National Stadium.
Last season’s runner-up, the Karachi Dolphins, face the Lahore Lions in a night fixture at the same venue.
Preliminary round matches will also be played at UBL Sports Complex and NBP Sports Complex.
Semifinals and final will be staged at the National Stadium.
Two of the leading players of Pakistan, skipper Inzamamul Haq and fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will not take part in the competition due to fitness problems.
Inzamam is taking rest to nurse a chronic back problem in order to get fit for the upcoming Sri Lanka tour, while Shoaib is expected to leave for Australia to have his knee examined.
Shahid Afridi is also a doubtful starter since he has not yet recovered from a rib injury that sidelined him from the last two One-day Internationals against India recently.
But other national players, including Pakistan vice-captain Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Rana Navedul Hasan, Mohammad Sami and Mohammad Asif, are appearing in the tournament.
Although the 20 overs version of the game is yet to be grasped by players and public in most of the cricketing world, the Twenty20 cricket has already attracted huge crowds in England, South Africa and Sri Lanka.
The Twenty20 Cup’s inaugural edition at Lahore was marred by controversies when Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik copped a two-match international ban for deliberating throwing a match while leading the Sialkot Stallions.
Malik alleged that a couple of matches were fixed to prevent his team from qualifying further in the tournament.
The total prize money is Rs3 millions.
Winner will get Rs600,000 while runner-up will get Rs300,000. Winning teams of semifinals get Rs15,000 each while losing teams will get Rs10,000 each.
Moreover, there are other cash prizes for league matches. Team winning a league round fixture will get Rs12,000 with Rs8,000 going to the losers.
There are individual awards as well. Each player declared as Man-of-the-Match in the preliminary phase will get Rs5,000.
Man-of-the-Final, best batsman, best bowler, best fielder and best wicket-keeper will each pocket Rs20,000.
Every six hit and each wicket fall will claim Rs1,000.
Schedule:
Pool A: Karachi Zebras, Lahore Eagles, Faisalabad Wolves, Peshawar Panthers, Sialkot Stallions, Rawalpindi Rams, Multan Tigers.
Pool B: Karachi Dolphins, Lahore Lions, Hyderabad Hawks, Quetta Bears, Islamabad Leopards, Abbottabad Rhinos.
Feb 24: Lahore Eagles v Sialkot Stallions at UBL Sports Complex (10:00am-12:55pm); Hyderabad Hawks v Quetta Bears at NBP Sports Complex (10:00am-12:55pm); Karachi Zebras v Rawalpindi Rams at UBL Sports Complex (2:00pm-4:55pm); Islamabad Leopards v Abbottabad Rhinos at NBP Sports Complex (2:00pm-4:55pm); Peshawar Panthers v Faisalabad Wolves at National Stadium (5:00pm-7:55pm); Karachi Dolphins v Lahore Lions at National Stadium (8:30pm-11:25pm).
Feb 25: Rawalpindi Rams v Sialkot Stallions at UBL Sports Complex (10:00am-12:55pm; Lahore Lions v Hyderabad Hawks at NBP Sports Complex (10:00am-12:55pm); Faisalabad Wolves v Multan Tigers at UBL Sports Complex (2:00pm-4:55pm); Quetta Bears v Abbottabad Rhinos at NBP Sports Complex (2:00pm-4:55pm); Karachi Zebras v Peshawar Panthers at National Stadium (5:00pm-7:55pm); Karachi Dolphins v Islamabad Leopards at National Stadium (8:30pm-11:25pm).
Feb 26: Karachi Zebras v Faisalabad Wolves at UBL Sports Complex (10:00am-12:55pm); Lahore Lions v Quetta Bears at NBP Sports Complex (10:00am-12:55pm); Lahore Eagles v Peshawar Panthers at UBL Sports Complex (2:00pm-4:55pm); Multan Tigers v Rawalpindi Rams at National Stadium (5:00pm-7:55pm); Hyderabad Hawks v Islamabad Leopards at National Stadium (8:30pm-11:25pm).
Feb 27: Peshawar Panthers v Sialkot Stallions at UBL Sports Complex (10:00am-12:55pm); Lahore Eagles v Rawalpindi Rams at NBP Sports Complex (10:00am-12:55pm); Lahore Lions v Islamabad Leopards at NBP Sports Complex (2:00pm-4:55pm); Karachi Zebras v Multan Tigers at UBL Sports Complex (2:00pm-4:55pm); Karachi Dolphins v Quetta Bears at National Stadium (5:00pm-7:55pm); Hyderabad Hawks v Abbottabad Rhinos (8:30pm-11:25pm).
Feb 28: Quetta Bears v Islamabad Leopards at NBP Sports Complex (10:00am-12:55pm); Peshawar Panthers v Multan Tigers at UBL Sports Complex (10:00am-12:55pm); Lahore Eagles v Faisalabad Wolves at UBL Sports Complex (2:00pm-4:55pm); Karachi Dolphins v Hyderabad Hawks at NBP Sports Complex (2:00pm-4:55pm); Karachi Zebras v Sialkot Stallions at National Stadium (5:00pm-7:55pm); Lahore Lions v Abbottabad Rhinos at National Stadium (8:30pm-11:25pm).
March 1: Peshawar Panthers v Rawalpindi Rams at UBL Sports Complex (10:00am-12:55pm); Faisalabad Wolves v Sialkot Stallions at National Stadium (5:00pm-7:55pm); Lahore Eagles v Multan Tigers at National Stadium (8:30pm-11:25pm).
March 2: Multan Tigers v Sialkot Stallions at NBP Sports Complex (10:00am-12:55pm); Faisalabad Wolves v Rawalpindi Rams at National Stadium (5:00pm-7:55pm); Karachi Zebras v Lahore Eagles at National Stadium (8:30pm-11:25pm).
March 3: First semifinal at National Stadium (5:00pm-7:55pm); Second semifinal at National Stadium (8:30pm-11:25pm).
March 4: Final at National Stadium (7:30pm-10:25pm).
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