Pak local: First-class season starts from Oct 6

Lahore: A new pattern of the 2000-2001 domestic cricket season was announced, giving more importance to the divisional and district teams of the country. Those will be participating in the Quaid-i-Azam Cricket Trophy Grade I and Grade II Championships.

The departmental teams will participate in the Patron's Trophy Grade I and Grade II Tournaments.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) General Manager for Cricket Operations Zakir Khan told mediamen during a Press briefing at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday that eight teams will take part in the Quaid-i- Azam Cricket Trophy Grade I Championship, whose four-day matches were scheduled to held on double league system (home and away basis) from Oct 6, 2000 to Jan 10, 2001. In all, 57 matches would be played, which had been accorded the first-class status.

The eight teams are Karachi,Bahawalpur, Lahore, Gujranwala,Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Peshawar.

A one-day tournament of these teams will be held from March 13 to 27, 2001 on Round-Robin league basis. In all, 29 matches would be played.

While replying to a question, Zakir Khan said that nine new teams have been included in the 26 sides being allowed to take part in the threeday matches of the Quaid-i-Azam Cricket Trophy Grade II Championship. That was being organised at different venues from Oct 17 to Nov 29.

The nine teams are Sialkot, Sheikhupura, Naseerabad, Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJ&K), Northern Areas, Rahim Yar Khan, Federal Areas (FATA), Okara and Sahiwal.

Besides those the other 17 teams also taking part in Grade II championship would be Multan, Mardan, Sargodha, Dera Ismail Khan, Hazara, Kohat, Bannu, Malakand, Hyderabad, Quetta, Dera Ghazi Khan, Larkana, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas, Sibi, Kalat and Makran.

The 26 teams will, in all, play 76 matches. Zakir Khan said that top two teams of Grade II would be promoted to Grade I contest while the two bottom teams of Grade I would be demoted to Grade II.

Zakir Khan said that the new constitution has almost been finalised and elections of the new associations all over the country would be held within six months. Moreover, the PCB was arranging to provide sponsors to the associations. He said that the entire junior programme was being sponsored by the Pepsi-Cola International. That included the Under-19 and the Schools and Colleges competitions.

The PCB General Manager (cricket operations) said that the 34 abovementioned associations of the country had been asked to raise under-16 teams from schools and colleges of their respective areas. Those would be divided into four groups and in all, play 131 one-day matches during summer vacation in June and July next year. He said that the competition would form base of our cricket structure and strengthen the game at grass-root level.

Nine departmental sides will play in the Patron's Trophy Grade I Tournament, which will also have the first-class status. On the first day, a one-day match will be held. The same teams will begin a fourday match next day. The tournament will also be held on Round-Robin League system from January 14 to March 2, 2001. In all, 19 one-day matches and as many four-day matches would be organised. The nine teams are:

PIA, PNSC, HBL, NBP, Pakistan Customs, ADBP, KRL, WAPDA and ABL.

Seven departmental teams will take part in the Patron's Trophy Grade II Tournament. Pakistan Army will send the team for the first time in this tournament. In all, 22 three-day matches will be held. The tournament will be organised from Jan 13 to Feb 20, 2001. It will include the following teams Sui Gas, Service Industries, Pakistan Education Boards (PEB), University Grants Commission (UGC), Pakistan Army, PAF, Railways.