Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

History

Named after Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan and the first Governor-General of Pakistan (from 1947 to 1948), who was known as "Quaid-e-Azam" (Great Leader), the trophy was introduced in the 1953–54 season to help the selectors pick the squad for Pakistan's Test tour of England in 1954. Five regional and two departmental teams competed in the first competition: Bahawalpur, Punjab, Karachi, North-West Frontier Province, Sindh, Combined Services and Pakistan Railways.

The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy has been contested by a variety of teams representing regional cricket associations and departments. The departmental teams were run by companies, institutions and government departments, and offered employment for their players. In most seasons up to 2019 a mixture of the two competed together, but on many occasions the competition has been contested exclusively by regional or departmental teams. Due to their strength in depth, several regional associations have entered multiple teams, starting in 1956–57 when Karachi, Punjab and East Pakistan each had two teams. Karachi teams have won the trophy 20 times, the most by any team.

Ahead of the 2019–20 season the Pakistan Cricket Board announced a new structure which removed the traditional regions and departments, with six newly formed regional teams contesting the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. In January 2023, the Pakistan Cricket Board, adverting to "the wrong policies of the past four seasons", announced that the PCB constitution had been changed. Pakistan domestic cricket would revert to what the PCB called its "tried, tested and winning cricket model and structure". Eight regional teams competed in the 2023–24 competition: Faisalabad, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Karachi Whites, Lahore Blues, Lahore Whites, Multan, Peshawar and Rawalpindi.

For the 2024–25 competition the number of teams was increased to 18, in three pools of six teams each.

• Pool A: Abbottabad Region, Faisalabad Region, Hyderabad Region, Islamabad Region, Lahore Region Whites, Larkana Region
• Pool B: Azad Jammu and Kashmir Region, Bahawalpur Region, Karachi Region Whites, Multan Region, Peshawar Region, Rawalpindi Region
• Pool C: Dera Murad Jamali, Federally Administered Tribal Areas Region, Karachi Region Blues, Lahore Region Blues, Quetta Region, Sialkot Region

For 2025–26 the number of teams was reduced to ten: Abbottabad, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Islamabad, Karachi Blues, Lahore Whites, Multan, Peshawar, Sialkot.

Winners and competition details

Multiple winners

Karachi Blues have had the most successes, winning the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy nine times. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) are next with seven wins, followed by Karachi, Karachi Whites, and National Bank with five each. United Bank and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) have four wins each; Habib Bank, Lahore and Sialkot have three; Bahawalpur, Peshawar and Railways have two outright wins; while Central Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have two including one shared title after they tied the 2020–21 final.

Records

Some team and individual records in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy are listed in the table below:

: – This was a world record partnership for the second wicket in first-class cricket.

Broadcasters

Notes

References

Other sources

• Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 1955 to current

References

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2. Kazi, Abid Ali. (24 December 2015). "History of First Class Cricket |".
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5. (4 January 2023). "PCB restores all departmental, district and zonal cricket bodies". Business Recorder.
6. (23 October 2024). "Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2024-25".
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15. (3 November 2017). "Saad Altaf sets Pakistan record with 16 for 141". ESPNcricinfo.
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18. "Records {{!}} First-class matches {{!}} Fielding records {{!}} Most catches in a match {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com".