QEA Grade-I: Misbah and Aqeel steal honours with most runs and wickets

Misbah-ul-Haq, the middle-order batsman from Sargodha, scored the most runs and Aqeel Ahmed, the off-break bowler from Faisalabad, secured most wickets to top the tables in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (Grade I) tournament, 2000-01, which finished three days ago with victory in the final for Lahore Blues.

Misbah played ten matches in the 12-team tournament getting 947 runs at an average of 63.13 with four centuries and an equal number of fifties against his name. Humayun Farhat, the wicket-keeper batsmen who led Lahore Blue's run chase in the final against Karachi, occupies the number-two slot with 877 runs in ten matches. He has three centuries and four fifties against his name.

Zahoor Elahi (839 runs in 11 matches) from Lahore-W, Naved Latif (833 runs in 10 matches) from Sargodha and Imran Farhat (774 runs in 8 matches) from Lahore-B occupy the third, fourth and the fifth position in that order.

Naved Latif, the right-handed opening batsman, has also the honour of playing the highest individual innings (394 against Gujranwala) of the tournament.

As far as averages are concerned, Ali Naqvi, the former Test player, finished at the top with an average of 113.50 after he hit two centuries in the only match that he participated. His two centuries came for Islamabad in their last league match against Gujranwala.

In bowling department, Aqeel Ahmed remained the most successful bowler, bagging 52 wickets in nine matches at an admirable average of 21.73. Naved-ul-Hasan, playing for Sheikhupura, collected 51 wickets (11 matches) with his medium fast bowling to fill the second slot behind Aqeel. Another bowler from Shiekhupura - Jaffer Nazir - came at number three with 50 wickets (11 matches) at an average of 21.82. He is followed by Yasir Arafat , from Rawalpindi, with 50 wickets at an average of 21.98 from 10 matches. Mohammed Zahid Snr., who bowls left-arm leg-break for Bahawalpur, and Irfan Fazil, the lanky right-arm fast bowler from Lahore-W, bagged 48 wickets in 10 and 8 matches to stand at fifth and sixth positions, respectively.

Danish Kaneria, the right-arm googly bowler from Karachi, who also played two Test matches against the visiting England team late last year, have the honour of claiming the best figures in an innings during the tournament. Playing against Gujranwala, he claimed seven wickets for 39 runs at his home ground. He finished the tournament with 47 wickets in 9 matches.