2017–18 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy


The 2017–18 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy was a first-class domestic cricket competition that took place in Pakistan from 26 September to 25 December 2017. Pakistan's former Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq was critical of the compressed schedule and the quality of the pitches saying "it takes time to prepare a good pitch for a game and nobody can make it in two days". Sixteen teams are competing, made up of the top eight regional teams and the top eight departmental teams. Water and Power Development Authority were the defending champions.
The Pakistan Cricket Board used a draft system to select players for the first time in the tournament's history. The draft system changes were presented to the PCB's governing board on 28 July 2017, with them being approved at the meeting. Each team selected eight players via the draft, ten through the normal selection process and two emerging players from the under-19 circuit. The eight regional sides completed their player selection on 6 September 2017.
In Pool A, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited, Sui Southern Gas Company, Lahore Blues and Water and Power Development Authority all progressed to the [|Super Eight] section of the tournament. They were joined by United Bank Limited, Habib Bank Limited, Khan Research Laboratories and Lahore Whites from Pool B.
On 26 November 2017, the dates for the first round of the Super Eight fixtures were postponed by the PCB, due to ongoing religious unrest which had also disrupted the fixture schedule for the 2017–18 National T20 Cup. The Super Eight round was originally scheduled to start on 29 November 2017, but this was moved back to 3 December 2017.
Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited won Group 1 of the Super Eight round, beating Lahore Blues by six wickets to advance to the final. In the match, the first three innings were each completed without a side scoring three figures, the first time this had ever happened in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. Water and Power Development Authority won Group 2, despite losing to Sui Southern Gas Corporation by 7 wickets in their final match.
In the final, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited beat Water and Power Development Authority by 103 runs to win the competition for the third time in the last four years. Samiullah Khan was man of the match after he took his career-best bowling figures of 8 for 62 in the second innings and his 25th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.

Teams

The following teams competed in the 2017–18 tournament:
Regional
Department
Pool A
Team
Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited7601051
Sui Southern Gas Company7412043
Lahore Blues7430034
Water and Power Development Authority7421033
Peshawar7330129
Islamabad7142012
National Bank of Pakistan7142012
Faisalabad706011

Team qualified for the Super Eight
Pool B
Team
United Bank Limited7610057
Habib Bank Limited7520046
Khan Research Laboratories7421033
Lahore Whites7322033
Rawalpindi7340024
Karachi Whites7241018
Pakistan Television7151012
Federally Administered Tribal Areas715109

Team qualified for the Super Eight

Group stage

Pool A

Round 1

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Round 2

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Round 3

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Round 4

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Round 5

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Round 6

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Round 7

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Pool B

Round 1

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Round 2

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Round 3

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Round 4

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Round 5

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Round 6

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Round 7

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Super Eight

Group 1
Team
Sui Northern Gas Pipelines320121
Habib Bank Limited311110
Lahore Blues31209
Lahore Whites31206

Team qualified for the [|Final]
Group 2
Team
Water and Power Development Authority321016
United Bank Limited321015
Sui Southern Gas Company321012
Khan Research Laboratories30300

Team qualified for the Final

Group 1

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Group 2

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Final