QUETTA: The first-ever All-Pakistan T20 Cricket Cup began at the Akbar Bugti Stadium here on Tuesday.

Nineteen cricket teams from all around the country are taking part in the T20 cricket cup that would be played under floodlights.

Five leading Pakistan cricketers namely Khurram Manzoor, Fawad Alam, Mohammad Sami, Sarfraz Ahmed and Rameez Raja Jr arrived here to participate in the tournament.

The tournament would be played in two phases. The first phase started on Tuesday while the second phase will commence from July 5 when the formal inaugural ceremony of the T20 Cup will be held.

Provincial Secretary Sports Hafiz Abdul Basit and Deputy Inspector General of Frontier Corps, Brigadier Khalid Saleem told the media in a briefing that for the first time in the history of Quetta city such a large-scale cricket event has been organised.

It is a joint venture of the Balochistan government, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Frontier Corps which would cost around Rs 20 to 30 million.

The first match of the first phase of T20 Cup was held between Marker Club Quetta and AG team.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2014