The regional teams showed poor performance in the country’s premier domestic event of Quaid-i-Azam Cricket Trophy.
The first round comprised 43 days while both departmental and regional associations fielded eight teams each in the leading domestic event. Only one regional team -- Karachi Whites -- could qualify for the super eight round which has started on Saturday.
All the rest of seven positions were occupied by departmental teams. Unfortunately, the Lahore Region, which fielded two teams -- Blues and Whites -- could not qualify for the super eight round.
The Lahore Blues would have qualified for the super stage had they not lost the last round match against Islamabad.
By virtue of that win, Islamabad managed to keep third position in regional teams’ ranking which was necessary to claim a seat in the PCB’s board of governors (BoGs).
The Lahore Blues also finished fourth to eye a place in the BoGs. The Lahore Whites team, however, ended the first round miserably as it remained second from the bottom with nine points.
The situation is alarming for the PIA which ended at the bottom. It is the only departmental team among the eight which could not qualify for the super eight round.
Every team of the first round played at least one day and night match for the first time in Pakistan in which a pink ball was used. The day and night matches were held at the Qadhafi Stadium, Lahore, and National Stadium, Karachi.
The system to allow both departments and regional association teams to play together provides a good opportunity for amateur players to play with professionals. And now seven departmental teams will be contesting each other in the super round, with only one regional team, Karachi Whites.
From Lahore Blues, Salman Ali Agha (473 runs) and Waqas Saleem (444 runs) remained top scorers. Tayyab Tahir (350 runs) was their only other batsman who could cross 300-run mark total.
From the bowling side, right arm fast bowler Bilawal Iqbal was the most successful bowler taking 30 wickets at an average of 23.77, followed by another right arm pacer Waqas Ahmad (18 wickets, 25.10), and medium pacer Shahid Nawaz (15 wickets) also made a useful contribution.
Saad Nasim, an international player, having played three ODIs and as many T20 matches, however, disappointed his team.
From Lahore Whites team, Anas Mahmood excelled with the willow aggregating 488 runs at an average of 34.86, followed by Farhan Khan, who scored 407 and Rameez (328 runs).
Though Umar Akmal and Sami Aslam also played for the Whites, they could not give much time due to their busy schedule with Pakistan and Pakistan A teams as well as the league cricket abroad.
Their left arm slow orthodox Qaiser Ashraf bagged 26 wickets at an average of 25.54. Umaid Asif (22 wickets) and off-spinner Adnan Rasool (18 wickets) were other key bowlers.
Pakistan weightlifters earned some laurels this last week while competing in the Asian Junior and Youth Championships held simultaneously in Tokyo, Japan.
Talha Talib and Muhammad Nooh Butt represented the country in both championships. In +105kgs category, Nooh earned the fourth position. No Pakistani weightlifter has ever earned this position at this level.
Talha competed in the 62kgs weight category and earned two silver and as many bronze medals.
Like weightlifting, Pakistani athletes have the potential to earn medals in wrestling, kabaddi and bodybuilding.
The weightlifters were accorded a warm welcome at the Lahore airport by the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation.
Two more cricket academies have been set up by Sports Board Punjab (SBP) under a project launched under the supervision of former Test cricketer Zaheer Abbas.
After opening academies in Rawalpindi and Sialkot, a women academy was set up at the Kinnaird College, Lahore, and another in Multan for boys.
The SBP has still not set up any academy for boys in Lahore. It seems a political rivalry between the SBP and the Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) might be a reason behind it.
The SBP has failed to install floodlights at the LCCA despite funds for the purpose has already been released by the Punjab government.
Published in Dawn November 20th, 2016