Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match in Hyderabad ends in five sessions

KARACHI: Pakistan’s former Test skipper Azhar Ali has expressed his concerns over the condition of the pitch at Hyderabad’s Niaz Stadium after the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches completed in less than five sessions of the game.

No team was able to score in triple figures during the match, which ended in Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited’s victory by six wickets.

Following the match, Ali posted brief scores on his twitter account, commenting on the condition of the pitch.

“Match finished in 4 and a half session, what a pitch,” Ali tweeted on Saturday.

However, this is not the first time that condition of the pitch during the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy have come under question.

But Pakistan Cricket Board feels the criticism is uncalled for.

“We will investigate complaints about the quality of the wicket and will take curators to task if any negligence is found,” Haroon Rasheed, PCB’s director of cricket operations, told Geo.tv.

According to sources, PCB is of the view that most of the players were blaming the condition of the pitch to cover up for their poor performance.

Nevertheless, Geo.tv obtained a photograph of Niaz Stadium — following SNGPL vs Lahore Blues — which shows that the pitch was surely not a separate patch on the ground. It is almost difficult to differentiate the pitch from the rest of the area.

Runs and overs

The match was the first in 70 years in Pakistan first-class cricket where teams were bowled out in less than 100 runs in first three innings of the game.

Lahore Blues, batting first, was bowled out for 89 runs and in response SNGPL was bowled out at 92. Lahore Blues could score only 70, while SNGPL showed some resistance in the fourth innings and reached the target of 70 with the loss of four wickets.

The victory cruised SNGPL to the final of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

The match lasted for 104 overs with 321 runs scored for the loss of 34 wickets.