The battle for the domestic title kicks off

The format remains the same as last season's, with 22 first-class teams - both regional and departmental outfits - competing in a two-league structure. Teams will be promoted and relegated each season on the basis of performance. The two bottom teams of Division I - one departmental and one regional will be demoted to Division II for the next season. Likewise, the leading regional and departmental sides from Division II will make the grade to Division I. The departmental side finishing lowest in Division II will be relegated to Grade II for the upcoming season.

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Multan have been relegated to Division II on the basis of last year's standings, while State Bank of Pakistan and Abbottabad earned promotions to Division I.

Captain: Younis Khan

Possessing with a side filled with players who have represented Pakistan, HBL claimed the championship last year, capping their dominant run with victory against Pakistan International Airlines in the final. They scored more than 500 runs in an innings twice, and won a couple of their games with a margin of over 100 runs. The decider was a day-and-night affair that featured coloured balls.

HBL is set to lose several of their most influential players as Taufeeq Umar, Imran Farhat, Younis Khan, Umar Gul and Abdul Rehman are likely to be away on national duty at some stages of the tournament. They are fortunate, however, to have the services of Ahmed Shehzad who is currently out of the national side, and Shahid Afridi, who has 'conditionally' retired from international cricket. The bowling will be led by Danish Kaneria, who will want to make an impression even as he fights the PCB integrity committee in court.

Captain: Mohammad Sami

The unpredictable champions of 2009-10 season are back in contention, with many of their top players returning to represent the region. Last season, the Blues finished a lowly eighth, with only three wins and 27 points from their 11 matches. They often lose players to the national side or to department teams, but they have ample talent to plug the gaps.

The team is brimming with talent, especially in the fast-bowling department. Seamers Sami, Tanvir Ahmed and Sohail Khan will form the backbone of the attack, while Khalid Latif and Shahzaib Hassan should provide the batting ballast.

Captain: Kashif Siddiq

SBP toiled their way to the top of Division II, where they won four of their nine games and lost only one. The promotion came on the back of an efficient performance from a unit that overcame its lack of star power. It was a difficult trajectory, though, as they defeated Pakistan Television in three days and later beat Khan Research Laboratories in the Division II final.

Domestic veteran Saddiq will be their talisman this year as they once again enter the fray with a bunch of low-profile but consistent domestic performers.

SBP will be bolstered by the arrival of Rameez Raja junior, who was moved from Karachi Blues after topping the run-charts last year. Another international presence is Shoaib Khan, who was the highest run-scorer in the 2008 season. He will look to hit the ground running after having spent much of his off-season playing league cricket in England.

Captain: Babar Naeem

Rawalpindi have improved immensely in recent years, and finished third last season with 54 points. They were one of only three sides in Division I to win six matches. If they had won their final league fixture, against Sialkot, they could have made it to the final.

Sadaf Hussain, a fast bowler who is expected to break into the big league soon, will be Rawalpindi's man to watch. He finished as the top wicket-taker last year with 64 scalps in only his second season. Awais Zia, who spent considerable time in the wilderness despite averaging nearly 45 in 27 games, finally made the headlines in the Twenty20 format. He will be keen to impress the selectors further in the first-class format. Wicketkeeper Jamal Anwar, another player with the potential to enter the national side, had 41 dismissals in 10 matches last year.

Captain: Misbah-ul-Haq

SNGPL, the 2009-10 champions, have been pinned down in Division II after a disappointing season in which they managed only two wins. The department had to release some of their top players - Miabah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez included - for national duty through the season.

Umar Akmal was dropped from the Pakistan Test squad and advised to display the ability to bat for long periods of time. He will seek to do just that when the first-class season begins. Another prospect, the legspinner Yasir Shah, will look to make giant strides. The side will, however, find it tough to ascend through the Division I table in the absence of two of their major batsmen.

Captain: Shabbir Ahmed

UBL were among the most popular sides in the 1990s, but have been out of the event after being privatised in 2002. The team was in the top division last in 1997, when they played a final against Habib Bank Limited and won by 306 runs. They have now re-emerged in the domestic circuit by qualifying for Division II.

The team is largely made up of low-profile domestic players. Misbah Khan, the offspinner, was missing in action last season, but he is back in the mix this year. The squad also includes allrounder Tahir Mughal, a veteran of 103 first-class matches, from Sialkot region. Given the near experimental look to their line-up, avoiding relegation will be a challenge.