HBL favourites to reach final despite lifeline for NBP: Quaid-i-Azam Trophy

LAHORE, Dec 24: Though the last two decisions of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have given timely favour to the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) to keep their chances alive for the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy Championship final from pool ‘A’, the leaders of the same group — Habib Bank Limited (HBL) — look firm favourites to play the all-important match.

To make the final, the HBL only have to beat Karachi Whites in the last tie, starting at the Asghar Ali Shah Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday.

Firstly, the PCB reversed its own rules, while rescheduling an abandoned NBP-Sialkot match, which could not be completed in Sialkot because of an unprepared pitch. There was no rule to reschedule an abandoned match.

Sources told Dawn that rescheduling of the said match was announced at a time when the HBL had almost qualified for the final.

But to keep the NBP also in the fray the high officials of the PCB and those of the NBP decided to reschedule the match.

The NBP, who are playing their rescheduled match against Sialkot at Multan from Monday and have to play the last one against another lowly-rated Sui Southern Gas Company, need to win both to keep their chances alive for the final. However, a HBL win over Karachi Whites will dash all NBP hopes.

The second decision of the PCB, of reportedly banning six players, for joining the Indian Cricket League (ICL) also deprived the HBL of in-form Imran Farhat and Taufiq Umar for the crunch match against Karachi Whites.

Nevertheless, the HBL are looking strong against Karachi Whites who are at the 8th spot among 11 teams of Pool ‘A’. But any upset or a draw in that match can put the HBL in trouble.

However, if the HBL are not playing with Imran and Taufiq, the services of current Pakistan stars like Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Danish Kaneria and Abdul Rehman are available to them for the remaining stages of the Trophy.

In other matches, which have no bearing on the final, Faisalabad will play Lahore Ravi in Pool ‘A’ at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad. Besides the clash between the HBL and Karachi Whites, Hyderabad will take on Pakistan Customs at the Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad from this pool.

In Pool ‘B’, from which Sui Northern Gas Pipe Lines (SNGPL) had already reached the final, the no-interest games between Karachi Blues and the PIA at the National Stadium in Karachi, Lahore Shalimar and Abbottabad, Peshawar and Islamabad are on the cards, while SNGPL will face the lowly-rated Quetta.

Points table

(Tabulated under teams, matches played, won, drawn, lost, points):

Pool A

Habib Bank 9 7 0 1 66

National Bank 8 5 3 0 51

Wapda 9 4 5 0 42

Lahore Ravi 9 4 4 1 39

Multan 10 3 4 3 30

Faisalabad 9 2 6 1 30

SSGC 9 2 5 2 24

Karachi Whites 9 2 3 4 21

Sialkot 8 1 6 1 15