Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

Named after Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, who was known as 'Quaid-i-Azam' (Great Leader), the trophy was introduced in the 1953-54 season to help the selectors pick the squad for Pakistan's Test tour of England in 1954. Five regional and two departmental teams competed in the first competition: Bahawalpur, Punjab, Karachi, North-West Frontier Province, Sindh, Combined Services and Pakistan Railways.

The competition's format has seldom remained unchanged from one season to the next. It has been contested sometimes by regional teams, sometimes by departmental teams, but usually by a mixture of the two. In 1956–57 it was decided that Karachi and Punjab would have to enter three teams each, to make the teams more evenly matched. The Pakistan Cricket Board announced a new domestic structure ahead of the 2019–20 season, which included the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy being contested by six newly formed regional teams.[1]

Karachi has won the trophy 20 times (most by any team).

Karachi teams have won the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy 20 times, PIA (Pakistan International Airlines) 7, National Bank 5, Lahore teams, United Bank, and SNGPL (Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited) 4, Habib Bank 3, Bahawalpur, Peshawar, Punjab, Railways, and Sialkot 2, ADBP (Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan), Central Punjab, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, and WAPDA (Water and Power Development Authority) 1.

NB: "Regional" teams represent cities, districts and provinces. "Departmental" teams represent institutions, corporations, and government departments and instrumentalities. "Number of matches" includes matches scheduled but not played.

On 31 August 2019, the PCB introduced a new structure of the tournament, in which six newly formed regional teams will play a total of thirty-one matches, each team playing ten matches. The teams competing are Balochistan, Central Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Northern, Sindh and Southern Punjab. On 3 September 2019, the PCB confirmed all of the squads for the tournament.[2][3]

The PCB also updated the playing conditions for the tournament, including removing the mandatory coin toss and the possibility of extending the final by an extra day, if needed. The visiting team's captain will have the choice to bowl first if they wish. If not, then the coin toss will take place as before. This practice has been used in England since the 2016 County Championship season. If the final ends in a draw, the winner will be declared on the basis of a first innings lead. However, if the first innings for both teams have not been completed, an extra day will be used. In the event that both teams do not complete their first innings, they will both be declared the winners of the tournament.[4]

Points are awarded at the conclusion of each match during the season.

• Won: 16 points
• Lost: 0 points
• Draw: 5 points
• Tie: 9 points
• Batting points: First Innings only up to 110 overs – first point at 200 runs, second point at 250 runs, third point at 300 runs, fourth point at 350 runs, fifth point at 400 runs
• Bowling points: First Innings only up to 110 overs – first point at 3 wickets, second point at 6 wickets, third point at 9 wickets

• Quaid-e-Azam Trophy winners list at CricInfo
• CricketArchive

• Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 1955 to current