- Asfand was involved with both bat and ball for Faisalabad with a crucial 40-run 10th wicket stand in first outing and unbeaten 68-run third-wicket stand in second apart from 5-31 in just his seventh first-class outing
- Four other left-arm spinners including Abbottabad’s Khalid Usman, Karachi Blues’ Kashif Bhatti, Multan’s Ali Usman and FATA’s Asif Afridi picked five-wicket hauls; Peshawar’s Abbas Ali scored a fighting century
- Scorecards and stats are available here; Points table after seven rounds is available here; Top performers pictures from day three are available here for free download and editorial use
- Day one highlights of Peshawar v Multan are available here, Islamabad v Karachi Blues are available here and Sialkot v FATA are available here
Lahore, 17 November 2025: The opening day of the penultimate round of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2025-26 saw the top four teams on the table – Sialkot, Karachi Blues, Faisalabad and Peshawar being challenged but they showed their stronghold towards the close as a happening day one unfolded across five venues on Monday.
Faisalabad were 95 runs ahead of Abbottabad with eight wickets in hand in the second innings at stumps on an eventful 22-wicket opening day of their crucial penultimate fixture at the Marghzar Cricket Ground in Islamabad.
Abbottabad’s Khalid Usman ran riot with the ball returning figures of 7-42 in 14.3 overs to dismiss Faisalabad for 121 in 31.3 overs after they opted to bat first. With Faisalabad, 81-9, no.11 batter Jahandad Khan (31, 12b) hit four sixes to provide his team some consolation taking the score to triple-digit figures.
In turn, Abbottabad only managed a two-run lead, falling prey to Ali Asfand’s maiden first-class five-wicket haul (9.3-2-31-5) and Hasan Raza’s off-spin (4-36).
Shahzaib Khan (53, 117b, 6x4s, 1x6) and no.6 batter Ahmed Khan (31, 49b, 4x4s, 1x6) did well to stall the imminent collapse with a 54-run fifth-wicket stand.
Faisalabad, in their second dig, lost two wickets for 29 runs before opening batter Faham-ul-Haq (37 not out, 80b, 4x4s) and Asfand (34 not out, 55b, 4x4s) – who was promoted up the order – took their team to stumps unscathed.
Asfand returned to competitive cricket exactly a year after appearing for Faisalabad in a QeAT game against Islamabad in November 2024.
Lahore Whites were eight runs behind Bahawalpur in the first innings as they finished the day one 132-7 in 32 overs as Hussain Talat (58, 79b, 8x4s) and Ali Zaryab (39, 74b, 7x4s) chipped in with a 67-run stand at the Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi.
For Bahawalpur, Mohammad Junaid and Muhammad Imran picked up two wickets each. Earlier, Noman Ali’s 4-51, skipper Aamir Jamal’s 3-26 and Mohammad Abbas’ 2-18 bundled out Bahawalpur for 140 in 49.1 overs.
Karachi Blues had a productive opening day against Islamabad at the Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad as they replied with 294-6 in 57 overs to the latter’s 161 all out in 37.2 overs.
Left-arm spinner Kashif Bhatti completed the 500 first-class wickets landmark with impressive figures of 5-61 in 17.2 overs as Islamabad slipped from 113-2 to 161 all out. Mohammad Asghar chipped in four wickets for 34 runs in his eight overs.
Shamyl Hussain (85, 90b, 13x4s, 1x6) and Hasan Nawaz (31, 44b, 3x4s, 1x6) formed a 96-run alliance for the second wicket before Kashif and Asghar spun a web. In turn, opening batters Abdullah Fazal (73, 64b, 6x4s, 5x6s) and Saad Baig (46, 59b, 8x4s) provided Karachi Blues a head-start with a 116-run stand.
Blues faced a batting collapse of 6-82 with Hasan’s off-breaks taking three 3-58. At 198-6, skipper Saud Shakeel (88 not out, 121b, 9x4s, 1x6) and Kashif (37 not out, 55b, 4x4s) formed an unbeaten 96-run stand finishing the day with a 133-run lead.
At the Imran Khan Cricket Stadium in Peshawar, Multan Region were left reeling at 27-5 in 16 overs at stumps in reply to Peshawar’s 239 all out. Earlier, Peshawar were reduced to 43-5 and then 100-7 when no.4 batter Abbas Ali and Sajid Khan (60, 85b, 5x4s, 3x6s) collected 124 runs for the eighth wicket.
21-year-old Abbas struck his maiden first-class century scoring 116 off 136 balls hitting 11 fours and four sixes. For Multan, Ali Usman (5-79) continued his fine form by picking up his seventh first-class five-for, fourth in the ongoing tournament and third on the trot. Mohammad Ismail and Kashif Ali picked up two wickets each.
20 wickets fell in the fixture between FATA and Sialkot at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium with spinners ruling the roost taking 15 of them. Sialkot’s skipper Usama Mir (4-11), along with Hamza Nazar (2-14) and Mohammad Ali (2-16) dismissed FATA for 110 all out in 33.5 overs after they were 104-3 at one point.
In turn, Sialkot managed a valuable 76-run first innings lead with only Mohsin Riaz crossing the 30-run mark, while FATA skipper bagged his 16th first-class five-wicket haul (24-5-48-5). Azan Awais (29, 24b, 4x4s) and Mohammad Huraira (28, 45b, 4x4s) did well to give Sialkot a 52-run opening stand.
At close of play, FATA were 10 for no loss and 66 runs behind Sialkot with all 10 wickets intact.
Scores in brief – Eighth Round – Day 1 – Stumps
Abbottabad v Faisalabad at Marghzar Cricket Ground, Islamabad
Faisalabad lead by 95 runs with eight wickets remaining in the second innings
Faisalabad 121 all out, 31.3 overs (Jahandad Khan 31, Faham-ul-Haq 21; Khalid Usman 7-42, Kamran Ghulam 2-31) and 97-2, 30 overs (Faham-ul-Haq 37 not out, Ali Asfand 34 not out)
Abbottabad 123 all out, 39.3 overs (Shahzaib Khan 53, Ahmed Khan 31; Ali Asfand 5-31, Hasan Raza 4-36)
Bahawalpur v Lahore Whites at Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
Lahore Whites trail by eight runs with three wickets remaining in first innings
Bahawalpur 140 all out, 49.1 overs (Saad Khan 37, Muhammad Imran 21, Rana Burhan Basharat 21; Noman Ali 4-51, Aamir Jamal 3-26, Mohammad Abbas 2-18)
Lahore Whites 132-7, 32 overs (Hussain Talat 58, Ali Zaryab 39; Mohammad Junaid 2-9, Muhammad Imran 2-36)
Islamabad v Karachi Blues at Diamond Cricket Ground, Islamabad
Karachi Blues lead by 133 runs with four wickets remaining in first innings
Islamabad 161 all out, 37.2 overs (Shamyl Hussain 85, Hasan Nawaz 31; Kashif Bhatti 5-61, Mohammad Asghar 4-34)
Karachi Blues 294-6, 57 overs (Saud Shakeel 88 not out, Abdullah Fazal 73, Saad Baig 46, Kashif Bhatti 37 not out; Hasan Nawaz 3-58)
Peshawar v Multan at Imran Khan Cricket Stadium, Peshawar
Multan trail by 212 runs with five wickets remaining in first innings
Peshawar 239 all out, 57.4 overs (Abbas Ali 116, Sajid Khan 60, Azam Khan 21; Ali Usman 5-79, Mohammad Ismail 2-49, Kashif Ali 2-50)
Multan 27-5, 16 overs (Razaullah 2-3)
Sialkot v FATA at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad
FATA trail by 66 runs with 10 wickets remaining in second innings
FATA 110 all out, 33.5 overs (Khushdil Shah 37, Rehan Afridi 20; Usama Mir 4-11, Hamza Nazar 2-14, Mohammad Ali 2-16) and 10-0, 1.5 overs
Sialkot 186 all out, 50.4 overs (Mohsin Riaz 33, Azan Awais 29, Mohammad Huraira 28, Ayaz Tasawar 27; Asif Afridi 5-48, Hayatullah 3-69)
