KARACHI (Kashmir English): The 69th edition of Pakistan’s premier first-class cricket tournament, the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, will begin on Tuesday (today) with eight teams competing in the Gold tier across Islamabad, Abbottabad and Rawalpindi.
The 12-team Silver tier will run simultaneously, serving as a qualification pathway to the Gold competition for the next season.
Defending champions Karachi Blues, Faisalabad, FATA, Lahore Whites, Islamabad, Peshawar Blues, Multan and Sialkot Blues will feature in the Gold tier, which runs from November 3 to December 12.
The five-day final, featuring the top two teams, is scheduled for December 15-19.
The official venue for the 2026–27 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (Gold) final is yet to be confirmed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final
While the exact stadium remains unannounced, the final will likely be assigned to one of the prominent venues where Gold tier group matches are being staged; Islamabad, Abbottabad, and Rawalpindi.
As many as 12 teams will participate in the Silver competition. These teams have been divided into two groups of six.
Lahore Blues, Rawalpindi, Larkana, Quetta, Bahawalpur and Peshawar Whites form Group A, while Karachi Whites, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Hyderabad, Dera Murad Jamali, Abbottabad and Sialkot Whites make up Group B.
Group A matches will be played at three venues in Karachi: KCCA Stadium, SBP and UBL Sports Complex. Group B fixtures will take place at Multan Cricket Stadium, Sports Complex Rahim Yar Khan and Dring Stadium in Bahawalpur.
The Silver-tier group stage will run from November 3-30, with the five-day final between the two group winners scheduled for December 3-7.
A total of 29 first-class matches will be played in the Gold tier and 31 in the Silver competition.
Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam is set to represent Lahore Whites in the opening round, when they face FATA, led by Shaheen Shah Afridi, at Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad.
The tournament will also feature several other prominent Pakistan internationals, including Saud Shakeel, Saim Ayub, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan, Sahibzada Farhan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Abdullah Shafique and Hasan Ali.
