KARACHI, Jan 6: Habib Bank, boasting a host of international players, are keen to end a 30-year itch when they take on underdogs Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) in the five-day Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship final at the National Stadium from Monday.

With the likes of stalwarts such as Younis Khan, skipper Shahid Afridi, Danish Kaneria — all members of the current Pakistan squad — in their ranks, Habib Bank are the firm favourites to clinch only their second Quaid Trophy after having won it back in 1977-78, when they also had the distinction of completing a rare treble.

Despite not being able to field Imran Farhat and Taufiq Umar because of the PCB ban for joining the breakaway Indian Cricket League, the bankers have other match-winners in their squad. Test discard Hasan Raza, who was their regular captain this season, has been in top form in this championship with 735 runs in 10 games.

Slow left-armer Abdul Rehman, who made a promising Test debut against South Africa on this very ground last October, is another member of the national squad.

However, Umar Gul, the seam bowler, will be missed since he is still recuperating from injury sustained during the recent tour of India. In his absence, the new-ball duties will be shared by Fahad Masood and all-rounder Kamran Hussain.

Fahad is the second highest wicket-taker for the bankers, with 38 in 10 matches, behind left-arm spinner Aslam Qureshi who bagged 40 wickets in nine games.

Leg-spinner Dilawar Khan has snared 28 wickets in only five matches, but he and Aslam could be sitting on the sidelines because of the presence of Kaneria and Rehman.

But SNGPL, playing their first major final, are expected to give their opponents tough time if Misbah-ul-Haq continues his great form of the Indian tour where he scored back-to-back centuries to help Pakistan draw the last two Tests.

Mohammad Hafeez, the opener who lost his place in the national side for indifferent form, has enjoyed a good season as the SNGPL skipper, striking three centuries while accumulating 639 runs in nine matches.

However, the biggest gain for SNGPL has been newcomer Umar Akmal, the younger brother of Pakistan wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal. Umar, who turns 18 in May, has had a remarkable baptism into first-class cricket this season. In just eight matches, the young right-hander has amassed a staggering tally of 849 runs with two centuries, while averaging an astonishing 94.33.

Umar scored 248 off 225 balls before he was run out against Karachi Blues in the Group B fixture at the Asghar Ali Shah Stadium last month. He then hit an unbeaten 186 against Quetta at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore before the last round matches of the championship were abandoned following the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on Dec 27.

Compared to Habib Bank, SNGPL appears to have more venom in the pace bowling department since the trio of Samiullah Niazi (43), Imran Ali (31) and Asad Ali (30) have together accounted for 104 batsmen in the championship.

Therefore, the toss is almost certain to play a crucial part in deciding the outcome on a pitch that should assist seam movement in the morning session. And with rain also predicted for the metropolis, the team winning the toss would obviously want to field first in the prevailing circumstances.

Overall, there is a lot at stake with the winners to collect a record purse of Rs1,000,000 with the runners-up getting Rs500,000.

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