Sialkot, Karachi Blues meet in Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final

By Alam Zeb Safi
LAHORE: Usama Mir’s Sialkot enter the 68th Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final with confidence and clarity of purpose as they prepare to defend their title against a revitalized Karachi Blues led by Test batsman Saud Shakeel.
The five-day final will be played from 1–5 December at Lahore’s iconic Gaddafi Stadium.
At stake is not only prestige but significant prize money: Rs7.5 million for the winners and Rs4 million for the runners-up. The player of the final will receive Rs100,000 while the tournament’s best batter, bowler, wicketkeeper and overall player will be awarded Rs250,000 each.
Sialkot, champions in 2005-06, 2008-09 and 2024-25, seek a fourth title. Karachi Blues, however, boast an unmatched legacy with nine titles since the 1961-62 season. Altogether, Karachi sides—Blues, Whites, Urban, and A—have clinched 21 titles in the event’s rich history. The last Karachi triumph came via Karachi Whites in 2023-24 while the Blues last lifted the trophy in 2012-13. Notably, that very season’s final was also a Karachi Blues vs Sialkot clash in Lahore which the Blues won convincingly by nine wickets.
In this year’s league stage, Karachi Blues defeated Multan, Peshawar, Abbottabad, Islamabad and Sialkot. They drew with Lahore Whites and Faisalabad and suffered losses against FATA and Bahawalpur. After a shaky start—only one win in their first five matches—the Blues surged late, ultimately topping the table and entering the final on a four-match winning streak.
Sialkot, meanwhile, have been remarkably consistent, losing only once—their narrow three-wicket defeat to Karachi Blues in the final round. Their drawn matches came against Peshawar, Faisalabad and Bahawalpur. That single loss had put Sialkot’s qualification at risk but Bahawalpur’s dramatic win over Faisalabad ensured the reigning champions’ passage to the final by a slim margin.
Test batsman Mohammad Huraira is set for a remarkable fifth consecutive Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final, having featured previously for Northern, Faisalabad, and Sialkot.
On the batting charts, Karachi’s young wicketkeeper-batsman Saad Baig leads the tournament with 930 runs and 27 dismissals. Behind him are Shamyl Hussain (899), Shahzaib Khan (838), Saad Khan (837) and Sialkot’s promising Azan Awais (790). Aside from Saad, all the top run-getters are alumni of Pakistan’s ICC Men’s U19 World Cup 2024 squad, underlining the emergence of a new generation of domestic stars. Veteran Test batters Shan Masood (562 for Karachi) and Mohammad Huraira (560 for Sialkot) follow as the next best for their sides.
In bowling, Multan’s Ali Usman leads with 48 wickets, while Karachi pacer Saqib Khan shares second spot with Mohammad Abbas at 38. Karachi Blues also rely on Kashif Bhatti (25), Muhammad Umar (24) and Mohammad Asghar (22). Sialkot counter with Test pacer Mohammad Ali (28 wickets), Mehran Mumtaz (24), and captain Usama Mir (23). Behind the stumps, Sialkot’s Afzaal Manzoor leads all keepers with 33 dismissals, three more than Peshawar’s Mohammad Haris.
Both finalists carry considerable international experience. Sialkot look to Abdullah Shafique, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Usama Mir, and guest pacer Mohammad Hasnain. Karachi Blues arrive armed with Pakistan Test batters Shan Masood and Saud Shakeel, complemented by Danish Aziz and Usman Khan.
During the pre-final photoshoot at Gaddafi Stadium, the captains shared their thoughts with PCB Digital.
Karachi captain Saud Shakeel said:
“It has been a long journey for us, starting from the Hanif Mohammad Trophy. After relegation, our focus was on qualifying for the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, and then things steadily aligned. We also wanted to invest in young players while maintaining a winning mindset, and it has paid off. The final is at a new venue and in different conditions, so the team that plays quality cricket will prevail. I encourage my players to express themselves because opportunities like these are rare.”
Sialkot skipper Usama Mir reflected: “We kept the same approach as last season—relentless in mindset and effort. Our players showed true champion spirit across different venues and surfaces. The final brings pressure and represents the essence of the season. We want to make it memorable.”

Match timings remain consistent for the first four days:
1st session: 10am–12pm
2nd session: 12:40pm–2:40pm
3rd session: 3pm–5pm

On Friday (Day 5):
1st session: 10am–1pm
2nd session: 2pm–5pm

SQUADS:

Sialkot (15):
Usama Mir (captain), Mohsin Riaz (vice-captain), Abdul Rehman, Abdullah Shafique, Afzaal Manzoor (wicketkeeper), Athar Mehmood, Azan Awais, Hamza Nazar, Hasnain Khan, Hasan Ali, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Waleed

Support Staff:
Naveed Latif (head coach), Shahid Yousuf (assistant coach), Faisal Khan (fielding coach), Muhammad Ibrahim (analyst), Muhammad Tariq (physiotherapist), Shahbaz Khursheed (S&C coach), Hasan Nadeem (manager)

Karachi Blues (15):
Saud Shakeel (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Danish Aziz, Haroon Arshad, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Asghar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Muhammad Hamza, Muhammad Umar, Mushtaq Ahmed, Ramiz Aziz, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Saqib Khan, Shan Masood, Usman Khan

Support Staff:
Syed Iqbal Imam (head coach), Tahir Mehmood (assistant coach), Wajid Ali (fielding coach), Dr Ahmed Ali Khan (physiotherapist), Muhammad Waqar Ali Syed (S&C coach), Shakir Khilji (analyst), Syed Mohammad Ahmed Naqvi (manager)