Sialkot favourites to defend Quaid trophy

The premier domestic competition in the land, the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, begins tomorrow with six matches at various venues around the country. Thirteen teams, divided into two leagues - Gold and Silver - will compete in the 49th edition of the tournament.

Sialkot are in the process of establishing themselves as the strongest cricket force in the country and are defending champions, having walloped Faisalabad at Gaddafi Stadium last year in three days by an innings. Their participation doesn't commence until January 12, when incidentally, they face Faisalabad in their opening game.

Though they will be without a number of the international players who have helped them dominate recently, including retaining the Twenty20 title in December, they will still be the team to look out for. Faisalabad will undoubtedly provide Sialkot tough opposition not only in their opening match, but through the season. They have made the final of each of the last three seasons, having won it for the first time in their history in 2003-04.

For once in its history, the format of the competition remains almost untouched and it still boasts a relatively fresh concept, with a Gold and Silver League. The idea of two divisions, with relegation and promotion, was only instituted last year. Karachi Harbour, under the captaincy of Moin Khan, won the Silver League last season and will begin with the big guns this season, starting their campaign in a virtual 'derby' encounter with city rivals Karachi Urban. Multan, who finished bottom of the Gold League last season, were relegated and will begin their season with a match against Quetta.

The format remains purely regional, the third season running it has stayed that way. In the past, the tournament had departmental teams together with regional ones, but with the inception of the Patron's Trophy departments and regions have been happily segregated.

That smaller centres, such as Sialkot, Faisalabad and even Peshawar, have won the tournament recently is indicative of the shift in the talent pool of Pakistan cricket in recent years. Historically the tournament was dominated by either the bigger cities, such as Karachi or Lahore, or the bigger departments, such as PIA or National Bank. Karachi, in fact, has won the tournament a record 17 times. During much of this period, the bulk of the national team was also made up of players from Karachi or Lahore. In recent years, however, that has changed and the current Pakistan squad has barely half of its members from the main cities of Karachi or Lahore.

Karachi and Lahore field relatively weak sides this year and it is unlikely that either of them will be the winner.