KARACHI, May 20: The second edition of Pakistan Champions Cricket League is set to explode into action at different grounds of the city from Monday with forty teams in the fray.

Besides 33 clubs from across the country, seven foreign sides including the national teams of Kuwait, Qatar and Afghan Youth team along with clubs from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong are taking part in the 12-day gala.

A lucrative prize purse of Rs3.5 million will be at the offer in the championships. The winners of the event will grab Rs1.8 million while the runners-up will collect Rs900, 000.

Matches will be played at all six grounds of the city including three Rashid Latif Cricket Academy (RLCA) floodlit grounds in Korangi, Gulberg and UP.

After the league round, the two top teams from each of the eight groups will progress to the last-16 stage.

“This league will strengthen club cricket in Pakistan and create competitiveness and give the players an idea about how to perform under pressure,” former Pakistan captain and the founder of the event Rashid Latif said.

“This will be a major boost for the club cricketers from across Pakistan,” he said.

He said top cricketers like Abdul Razzaq, Yasir Hameed, Tanvir Ahmed and a host of available international cricketers will be in action while adding that dashing opener Imran Nazir will miss some matches because of the death of his father.

P&T Gymkhana (Lahore), Pakistan Cricket Club, Khan Sports (Hyderabad), Peshawar, Malir Gymkhana and Afghan Youth and Dragon Club Hong Kong are good teams and are front runners for the title.

The event is being staged with joint collaboration with Landhi/Korangi Town administrations and Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI).

MNA Syed Asif Hasnain is the Chief of the Organising Committee.

The local administration has already made elaborate security arrangements for the teams. Except for Kuwait and Qatar all the foreign teams have arrived in the city.

The organising committee is providing, boarding, lodging and transportation to all the foreign and outstation clubs.

Monday’s fixtures: Hong Kong v National CC (Lahore) at Aga Khan Gymkhana 10.00am; United Sports v Landhi Friends at Landhi Gymkhana Ground 10:00am; Muslim CC (Lahore) v Vital Five CC at RLCA Gulberg 10:00am; Korangi Al-Fateh CC v Al-Noor Gymkhana at TMC Ground 10.00am; SST CC (Dammam) v Aga Khan Gymkhana at AKG Ground 2.00pm; Ghori CC (Hyderabad) v Tigers CC (Tando Adam) at TMC Ground 2.00pm; P&T Gymkhana (Lahore) v CA Sports Sialkot at Landhi Gymkhana Ground 2.00pm; Khan Sports (Hyderabad) v Mohammad Hussain CC at RLCA UP 4.00pm; Riyadh CA v Peshawar Club at RLCA Korangi 4.00pm; Quaid-i-Azam CC (Rahim Yar Khan) v Airport Gymkhana at RLCA Gulberg at 4:00pm; Afghan Youth CC v Crescent CC (Multan) at RLCA Korangi 8.00pm; Combined CC (Faisalabad) v Dawood Sports at RLCA UP 8.00pm; Phoenix CC (UAE) v Khyber Greens (Fata) at RCLA Gulberg 8.00pm.—APP