LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) here on Tuesday announced 12 squads of six cricket associations for the upcoming domestic cricket season, that starts from Sept 14 with the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

The local coaches and juniors selectors had initially prepared the provisional squads of 32 players per team, before they were reviewed and finalised by a three-member independent panel that included Misbah-ul-Haq, Nadeem Khan and Rashid Latif who also took into account player performances from past three seasons.

The PCB centrally-contracted cricketers, who are not handed the domestic contracts, will feature in domestic events when not on national duty. They have been divided equally amongst the cricket associations to ensure top-quality and competitive cricket.

The white-ball specialists — both domestic and international — have also been allocated to the six teams, who will be remunerated as per the domestic match fee model.

The six cricket association sides will gather in the cities, where they play their first matches, on Sept 11.

For a robust succession plan, the onus of leading the cricket association sides in the upcoming domestic season has been put on the young and emerging international and domestic players. The PCB has also brought in the concept of mentorship, which will see former Test cricketers groom upcoming players in the second XI sides.

Of the 32 contracted players with Balochistan Cricket Association, 44 per cent are from the province. Rubbing shoulders with seasoned first-class and Test players from around the country will help them develop the requisite skills for this level.

The PCB, however, aims to have maximum representation from downtrodden Balochistan within the next three to five years by developing a strong grassroots structure through the new cricket association and city cricket association structure.

Commenting on team selections, Rashid said: “We took the performances of the past three years, across all formats, into consideration when we sat down to have a look at these teams. We preferred players in early 20s who have shown improvement into consideration and those who have gotten a bit old and have had their performances go downhill were let go — which was a tough decision.

“There might be questions on why there are only four local players in the First XI and ten in the Second XI teams from the Balochistan Cricket Association. The purpose behind making the call is to groom these players. At the moment, there are 44 per cent native players in the side. Misbah, Nadeem and I have recommended the PCB to have 90 per cent local players in the Balochistan sides, by developing the game there and providing them the identity.”

Squads:

BALOCHISTAN

First XI: Imran Farhat (Lahore, vice-captain), Abu Bakar Khan (Faisalabad), Ali Shafiq (Sialkot), Amad Butt (Sialkot), Asif Zakir (Karachi), Azeem Ghumman (Hyderabad), Bismillah Khan (Quetta, wicket-keeper), Hussain Talat (Lahore), Imran Butt (Lahore), Khurram Shehzad (Faisalabad), Mohammad Asghar (Quetta), Shahbaz Khan (Quetta), Shahzaib Ahmed Khan (Karachi), Taimur Khan (Quetta), Taj Wali (Peshawar), Umar Gul (Peshawar).

Second XI: Akbar-ur-Rehman (Karachi, captain), Akhtar Shah (Quetta), Atif Jabbar (Sialkot), Awais Zia (Rawalpindi), Dawood Khan (Quetta), Fahad Iqbal (Karachi), Gohar Faiz (Quetta), Gulraiz Sadaf (Multan, wicket-keeper), Haseeb Azam (Rawalpindi), Jalat Khan (Quetta), Mohammad Junaid (Quetta), Nazar Hussain (Quetta), Rameez Raja (Karachi), Shehzad Tareen (Quetta), Taimur Ali (Quetta), Usama Razzaq (Quetta).

White-ball specialists: Akif Javed (Kohat), Ibtisam Sheikh (Hyderabad), Mohammad Talha (Faisalabad).

Central contract players: Haris Sohail (Sialkot, captain), Imam-ul-Haq (Lahore), Yasir Shah (Swabi).

Coaching staff: First XI — Altaf Jaffery (team manager), Arshad Khan (head coach), Shoaib Khan (assistant coach); Second XI — Raj Hans (team manager-cum-head coach), Aslam Sheikh (assistant coach).

CENTRAL PUNJAB

First XI: Ahmed Shehzad (Lahore, vice-captain), Ahmed Bashir (Lahore), Ali Shan (Faisalabad), Bilal Asif (Sialkot), Ehsan Adil (Faisalabad), Fahim Ashraf (Faisalabad), Kamran Akmal (Lahore, wicket-keeper), Mohammad Saad (Lahore), Nasim Shah (Lahore), Rizwan Hussain (Lahore), Saad Naseem (Lahore), Salman Butt (Lahore), Umar Akmal (Lahore), Usman Salahuddin (Lahore), Waqas Maqsood (Faisalabad), Zafar Gohar (Lahore).

Second XI: Ali Waqas (Faisalabad, captain), Abdullah Shafiq (Sialkot), Ahmed Safi Abdullah (Faisalabad), Aizaz Cheema (Lahore, player-cum-mentor), Ali Zaryab (Lahore), Asad Raza (Faisalabad), Atiq-ur-Rehman (Faisalabad), Ayaz Tasawwar (Sialkot), Bilawal Iqbal (Lahore), Farhan Khan (Lahore, wicket-keeper), Irfan Niazi (Faisalabad), Mohammad Akhlaq (Lahore), Mohammad Ali (Sialkot), Raza Ali Dar (Lahore), Suleman Shafqat (Faisalabad), Zahid Mansoor (Rawalpindi).

White-ball specialists: Nasir Nawaz (Rawalpindi), Nauman Anwar (Sialkot), Usman Qadir (Lahore, subject to availability).

Central contract players: Babar Azam (Lahore, captain), Azhar Ali (Lahore), Hasan Ali (Lahore).

Coaching staff: First XI — Khalid Niazi (team manager), Ijaz Ahmed Jr (head coach), Samiullah Khan Niazi (assistant coach); Second XI — Naved Anjum (team manager-cum-head coach), Akram Raza (assistant coach).

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA

First XI: Sahibzada Farhan (Peshawar, vice-captain), Adil Amin (Peshawar), Ashfaq Ahmed (Peshawar), Iftikhar Ahmed (Peshawar), Imran Khan Sr (Peshawar), Irfan Khan (Fata), Israrullah (Peshawar), Junaid Khan (Abbottabad), Kamran Ghulam (Abbottabad), Mohammad Ilyas (Peshawar), Musadiq Ahmed (Peshawar), Nabi Gul (Peshawar), Rehan Afridi (Fata, wicket-keeper), Sameen Gul (Fata), Umar Khan (Fata), Zohaib Khan (Peshawar).

Second XI: Khushdil Shah (Fata, captain), Ahmed Jamal (Abbottabad), Akbar Badshah (Peshawar), Arshad Iqbal (Abbottabad), Asad Afridi (Fata), Asif Afridi (Fata), Aitzaz Habib Khan (Abbottabad), Azizullah (Peshawar), Gohar Ali (Peshawar, wicket-keeper), Irfanullah Shah (Fata), Khalid Usman (Abbottabad), Mehran Ibrahim (Peshawar), Mohammad Mohsin Khan (Charsadda), Mohammad Naeem (Fata), Sajid Khan (Peshawar), Samiullah Jr (Fata).

White-ball specialists: Imran Khan Jr (Peshawar), Mohammad Arif (Abbottabad), Mohammad Mohsin (Swat).

Central contract players: Mohammad Rizwan (Peshawar, captain), Fakhar Zaman (Mardan), Usman Khan Shinwari (Peshawar).

Coaching staff: First XI — Farrukh Zaman (team manager), Kabir Khan (head coach), Wasim Haider (assistant coach); Second XI — Riffatullah Mohmand (team manager-cum-head coach), Sajid Shah (assistant coach).

NORTHERN

First XI: Umar Amin (Rawalpindi, vice-captain), Afaq Raheem (Azad Jammu Kashmir), Ali Asad (Karachi), Ali Sarfraz (Islamabad), Asif Ali (Faisalabad), Haider Ali (Rawalpindi), Hammad Azam (Rawalpindi), Haris Rauf (Islamabad), Mohammad Nawaz (Rawalpindi), Musa Khan (Islamabad), Nauman Ali (Hyderabad), Rohail Nazir (Islamabad, wicket-keeper), Sadaf Hussain (Rawalpindi), Sohail Tanvir (Rawalpindi), Umar Waheed (Rawalpindi), Waqas Ahmed (Sialkot).

Second XI: Faizan Riaz (Islamabad, captain), Ali Imran (Islamabad), Sardar Hasan Raza (Azad Jammu Kashmir), Jamal Anwar (Rawalpindi, wicket-keeper), (Rawalpindi), Naved Malik (Rawalpindi), Raza Hasan (Sialkot), Salman Irshad (Azad Jammu Kashmir), Sarmad Bhatti (Islamabad), Shadab Majeed (Azad Jammu Kashmir), Shehzad Azam Rana (Islamabad), Shoaib Ahmed Minhas (Rawalpindi), Tauseeq Shah (Rawalpindi), Umair Khan (Islamabad), Umair Masood (Rawalpindi, wicket-keeper, Usama Mir (Sialkot), Zeeshan Malik (Rawalpindi).

White-ball specialists: Mohammad Amir (Rawalpindi), Sohail Akhtar (Abbottabad), Zaid Alam (Lahore).

Central contract players: Imad Wasim (Islamabad, captain), Shadab Khan (Rawalpindi), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Fata).

Coaching staff: First XI — Shakeel Ahmed (team manager), Mohammad Wasim (head coach), Manzoor Elahi (assistant coach); Second XI — Tahir Mahmood (team manager-cum-head coach), Saeed Anwar Jr (assistant coach).

SINDH

First XI: Anwar Ali (Karachi), Fawad Alam (Karachi), Hasan Mohsin (Karachi), Kashif Bhatti (Hyderabad), Khurram Manzoor (Karachi), Mir Hamza (Karachi), Mohammad Hasan (Karachi, wicket-keeper), Mohammad Hasnain (Hyderabad), Umair Bin Yousuf (Karachi), Ramiz Aziz (Karachi), Saad Ali (Karachi), Saud Shakeel (Karachi), Shahzar Mohammad (Karachi), Sohail Khan (Karachi), Tabish Khan (Karachi), Waleed Ahmed (Karachi).

Second XI: Mohammad Sami (Karachi, captain-cum-mentor), Rameez Raja (Karachi, vice-captain), Adeel Malik (Karachi), Ahsan Ali (Karachi), Ammad Alam (Karachi), Ashiq Ali (Karachi), Ashir Qureshi (Karachi), Danish Aziz (Karachi), Ghulam Mudassar (Karachi), Hassaan Khan (Karachi), Jaahid Ali (Karachi), Mohammad Suleman (Hyderabad), Mohammad Waqas (Hyderabad), Rumman Raees Khan (Karachi), Saad Khan (Hyderabad), Saifullah Khan Bangash (Karachi, wicket-keeper).

White-ball specialists: Abrar Ahmed (Karachi), Ahsan Jamil Mirza (Karachi), Shahnawaz Dahani (Larkana).

Central contract players: Sarfraz Ahmad (Karachi, captain), Asad Shafiq (Karachi, vice-captain), Abid Ali (Lahore).

Coaching staff: First XI — Rashid Khan (team manager), Azam Khan (head coach), Umar Rasheed (assistant coach); Second XI — Tauseef Ahmed (team manager-cum-head coach), Shaukat Mirza (assistant coach).

SOUTHERN PUNJAB

First XI: Sami Aslam (Lahore, vice-captain), Abdul Rehman Muzammil (Multan), Adnan Akmal (Lahore, wicket-keeper), Aamir Yamin (Multan), Bilawal Bhatti (Sialkot), Imran Rafiq (Multan), Mohammad Irfan (Lahore, slow left-armer), (Lahore), Mohammad Irfan Sr (Multan, Pakistan paceman), Mohammad Hafeez (Lahore), Rahat Ali (Multan), Saif Badar (Sialkot), Sohaib Maqsood (Multan), Umaid Asif (Sialkot), Umar Siddique (Lahore), Zahid Mahmood (Hyderabad), Zain Abbas (Multan).

Second XI: Naved Yasin (Multan, captain), Agha Salman (Lahore, vice-captain), Ali Usman (Bahawalpur), Anas Mustafa (Lahore), Ataullah (Bahawalpur), Maqbool Ahmed (Multan, wicket-keeper), Mohammad Ali Khan (Multan), Mohammad Basit (Multan), Mohammad Imran (Bahawalpur), Mohammad Irfan Jr (Nankana Sahib), Mohammad Mohsin (Lahore), Mohammad Umair (Bahawalpur), Mukhtar Ahmed (Sialkot), Zeeshan Ashraf (Okara), Zia-ul-Haq (Vehari), Zulfiqar Babar (Multan, player-cum-mentor).

White ball specialists: Ali Khan (Sialkot), Shoaib Malik (Sialkot), Sadaif Mehdi (Multan).

Central contract players: Shan Masood (Karachi, captain), Mohammad Abbas (Sialkot), Wahab Riaz (Lahore) Coaching staff: First XI — Shahid Butt (team manager), Abdul Rehman (head coach), Zahoor Elahi (assistant coach); Second XI — Sajjad Akbar (team manager-cum-head coach), Javed Hayat (assistant coach).

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2019