In a resounding triumph, Karachi Whites clinched their fifth Quaid-e-Azam Trophy title, prevailing over Faisalabad at Lahore’s historic Gaddafi Stadium by a staggering 456 runs. This thrilling final reached its epic conclusion on the fifth day of the match, leaving no doubt that Karachi Whites had asserted their dominance.
Karachi Whites’ victory was sealed with the dismissal of Faisalabad’s captain, Faheem Ashraf, who fell prey to the bowling prowess of Ghulam Mudassar. This wicket triggered exuberant celebrations among the Karachi Whites players, led by their captain, Sarfaraz Ahmed. Their triumph not only earned them the prestigious Quaid-e-Azam Trophy but also a significant cash prize of PKR 10 million.
The last time Karachi Whites claimed the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy was in the 2001-02 season when they defeated Peshawar in the final by eight wickets. With this victory, they added to their rich history of achievements, which includes a remarkable hat-trick of titles in the 1990-91, 1991-92, and 1992-93 seasons.
On the final day, Faisalabad began at 129-6, and it was Faheem Ashraf leading a valiant counterattack in a bid to defy the inevitable. However, despite his heroic efforts, the Faisalabad team lost two wickets in the first session, as Ali Asfand and Khurram Shahzad were dismissed. The lunch break saw Faisalabad at 230-8.
Faheem Ashraf, in a display of exceptional skill and determination, managed to secure his fourth first-class century, achieving this milestone in just 119 balls. He formed partnerships of 57 runs for the ninth wicket with Arshad Iqbal and 51 runs for the final wicket with Mohammad Ali. Faheem’s exceptional innings concluded at 147 off 181 deliveries, marking a career-best performance that included 23 fours and two sixes.
The bowling effort for Karachi Whites was led by Ghulam Mudassar, who took 3 wickets for 62 runs, and Shahnawaz Dahani, who claimed 2 wickets for 119 runs. Mir Hamza, Noman Ali, and Asad Shafiq also contributed with one wicket each.
During the round-robin stage of the tournament, Faisalabad emerged at the top of the points table, with Karachi Whites securing the second position. The individual honors for the tournament were also announced. Peshawar’s Sahibzada Farhan was the top scorer with 847 runs in 10 innings and was named the best batter of the tournament. Saim Ayub, who scored 203 in the first innings and 109 in the second innings of the final, was declared the player of the final. The captain of Karachi Whites, Sarfaraz Ahmed, who contributed 697 runs and was involved in 28 dismissals, received the prestigious Player of the Tournament award. Meanwhile, Faisalabad’s Khurram Shahzad, with 36 wickets in eight matches, and Ali Shan, with 28 catches and one stumping, were named the best bowler and best wicket-keeper of the tournament, respectively.
Summary of Scores:
Karachi Whites beat Faisalabad by 456 runs
Karachi Whites: 543 all out (Saim Ayub 203, Shan Masood 180; Mohammad Ali 3-63, Arshad Iqbal 3-94, Khurram Shahzad 3-120) and 370-7 dec (Asad Shafiq 113, Saim Ayub 109, Sarfaraz Ahmed 73; Khurram Shahzad 2-49, Arshad Iqbal 1-41).
Faisalabad: 124 all out (Muhammad Irfan Khan 32, Ali Waqas 27; Mir Hamza 5-44, Shahnawaz Dahani 4-50) and 333 all out (Faheem Ashraf 147, Ali Waqas 48, Taimoor Sultan 31; Ghulam Mudassar 3-62, Shahnawaz Dahani 2-119, Asad Shafiq 1-15, Noman Ali 1-37).
Player of the Tournament – Sarfaraz Ahmed (697 runs & 28 dismissals) (Karachi Region Whites)
Best Batter – Sahibzada Farhan (847 runs) (Peshawar Region)
Best Bowler – Khurram Shahzad (36 wickets) (Faisalabad Region)
Best Wicket-keeper – Ali Shan (29 dismissals) (Faisalabad Region)
Player of the Final – Saim Ayub (Karachi Region Whites)
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