KARACHI: As many as 23 teams, including three debutants, will compete in the Patron’s Trophy Grade-II cricket tournament which starts from Wednesday with 11 three-day fixtures at various venues across the country.

The three new departmental outfits in the non-first class event are Karachi-based currency exchange firm Dollar East, Face Fresh, a small cosmetic products company from Chichawatni, and Lahore’s Khayaban-e-Amin which deals in housing scheme and property developing.

Two sides, which played in the 22-team competition last season, missing this time are Port Qasim Authority (who won last year to qualify for President’s Trophy first-class event) and the Pakistan Air Force.

After 55 pool matches conclude, the four group winners will make the 24-26 April semi-finals. The final will be staged over four days from April 29. The venues for the knockout fixtures will be announced in due course of time.

It is still uncertain whether the champions of the coming edition would be eligible to earn first-class status because the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) committee responsible for domestic events has yet to decide on the format to be adopted for the next season.

The three new teams have been all placed in different groups. Face Fresh are in Group ‘B’, Dollar East in Group ‘C’ and Khabayan-e-Amin in the five-team Group ‘D’. Although there are no outright favourites but the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) are fancied for the title after finishing runners-up last season when the PQA were declared champions on the basis of first innings lead after the final at the Iqbal Stadium ended in a draw last May.

Following are the groups: Group ‘A’: Navy, Pakistan Customs, Pakistan Steel, Saudi Cricket International, Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC).

Group ‘B’: Army, Face Fresh, Pakistan Television, Karachi Port Trust (KPT), Capital Development Authority (CDA), Medicam.

Group ‘C’: Dollar East, Humak Engineering, Omar Associates, Pakistan Education Board (PEB), Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), Candyland.

Group ‘D’: Higher Education Commission (HEC), Income Tax, Service Industries, Sayid Paper Mills, Khabayan-e-Amin.

Schedule: April 3-5: Navy v Pakistan Customs (NBP Sports Complex, Karachi); Pakistan Steel v Saudi Cricket International (Quaid-i-Azam Park, Steel Town); KESC v SSGC (UBL Sports Complex, Karachi); Army v Face Fresh (Army Cricket Ground, Rawalpindi); PTV v CDA (Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi); KPT v Medicam (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); ETPB v Dollar East (National Cricket Ground, Islamabad); Humak Engineering v PEB (Marghazar Cricket Ground, Islamabad); Omar Associates v Candyland (KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi); HEC v Income Tax (Khayaban-e-Amin Cricket Ground, Lahore); Service Industries v Sayid Paper Mills (Stags Cricket Ground, Model Town Lahore).

April 7-9: Pakistan Customs v KESC (UBL Sports Complex, Karachi); Navy v Pakistan Steel (Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad); SSGC v Saudi Cricket International (Quaid-i-Azam Park, Steel Town); Army v PTV (Army Cricket Ground, Rawalpindi); Medicam v Face Fresh (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); CDA v KPT (Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi); Humak Engineering v ETPB (National Cricket Ground, Islamabad); Candyland v Dollar East (Marghazar Cricket Ground, Islamabad); Omar Associates v PEB (KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi); Income Tax v Sayid Paper Mills (Stags Cricket Ground, Model Town Lahore); Khayaban-e-Amin v HEC (Khayaban-e-Amin Cricket Ground, Lahore).

April 11-13: Pakistan Steel v Pakistan Customs (Quaid-i-Azam Park, Steel Town); Navy v SSGC (NBP Sports Complex, Karachi); KESC v Saudi Cricket International (Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad); Army v CDA (Army Cricket Ground, Rawalpindi); KPT v Face Fresh (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); PTV v Medicam (Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi); PEB v ETPB (National Cricket Ground, Islamabad); Omar Associates v Dollar East (Marghazar Cricket Ground, Islamabad); Candyland v Humak Engineering (Mirpur Cricket Stadium, Mirpur); HEC v Sayid Paper Mills (Stags Cricket Ground, Model Town Lahore); Khayaban-e-Amin v Service Industries (Khayaban-e-Amin Cricket Ground, Lahore).

April 15-17: Pakistan Customs v Saudi Cricket International (NBP Sports Complex, Karachi); Navy v KESC (UBL Sports Complex, Karachi); Pakistan Steel v SSGC (Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad); Army v Medicam (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); CDA v Face Fresh (Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi); PTV v KPT (Army Cricket Ground, Rawalpindi); Candyland v ETPB (National Cricket Ground, Islamabad); PEB v Dollar East (Marghazar Cricket Ground, Islamabad); Omar Associates v Humak Engineering (Mirpur Cricket Stadium, Mirpur); Service Industries v Income Tax (Stags Cricket Ground, Model Town Lahore); Sayid Paper Mills v Khayaban-e-Amin (LCCA Ground, Lahore).

April 19-21: Pakistan Customs v SSGC (UBL Sports Complex, Karachi); Pakistan Steel v KESC (Quaid-i-Azam Park, Steel Town); Navy v Saudi Cricket International (NBP Sports Complex, Karachi); Army v KPT (Army Cricket Ground Rawalpindi); PTV v Face Fresh (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); CDA v Medicam (Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi). Omar Associates v ETPB (Mirpur Cricket Stadium, Mirpur); Humak Engineering v Dollar East (Marghazar Cricket Ground, Islamabad); PEB v Candyland (National Cricket Ground, Islamabad); Khayaban-e-Amin v Income Tax (Khayaban-e-Amin Cricket Ground, Lahore); HEC v Service Industries (LCCA Ground, Lahore).

April 24-26: First semi final (Pool ‘A’ winners v Pool ‘C’ winners); Second semi-final (Pool ‘B’ winners v Pool ‘D’ winners). April 29-May 2: Final.