National Bank begin defence of national one-day title today

KARACHI: National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) will start their defence of the national limited overs cricket title, when they play their opening match against Pakistan Customs in Group C of the 2007-08 ABN-AMRO One-day Cup Championship, at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad today (Thursday).

National Bank had won the ABN AMRO Patron’s Cup one-day tournament in 2006-07, with Habib Bank Limited (HBL) ending as the runners-up. But, unlike the competition getting underway today, there were three different limited overs championships played last season, which have been merged into one in 2007-08.

Thus, National Bank were not the only one-day national champions last season. Islamabad Leopards and Lahore Lions had shared the ABN AMRO Cup Silver League title after their final was abandoned due to rain.

Peshawar Panthers defeated Sialkot Stallions in the final to win the ABN AMRO Cup Gold League. Now, all these teams have been placed in the single ABN AMRO One-day Cup Championship and will be vying for the exclusive title of Pakistan’s limited overs cricket champions.

There are, in fact, 22 teams competing in the tournament starting from today. Nine of them represent the country’s departmental cricket teams. The other 13 are from the 11 cricketing regions, both Karachi and Lahore fielding two separate outfits each as they have done for some time in national cricket.

There’s really nothing new about both regions/associations and departments taking part in a single national one-day competition. Several previous limited overs tournaments were played on a similar pattern, most conspicuous of these being the premier contest for the Wills Cup, that ran from the years 1981 to 1998.

There have been more than the current 22 participants in some previous tournaments. As many as 28 teams featured in the One-day National Tournament held in 2001-02. There were 24 teams in the NBP Patron’s Cup in the 2002-03 season and 23 in the Tissot Cup of 1998-99. A total of 22 outfits appeared in the NBP Cup event in 1999-00.

In the 2007-08 season, all three one-day competitions of the last season have now become one and will be played for the ABN AMRO One-day Cup. The 22 teams have been divided into four groups and a total of 65 matches will be played, including the final at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore on April 10, that will be a day/night affair and is to be telecast live.

The Patron’s Cup competition in 2006-07 was contested by eight departmental sides. There were six regional teams in the ABN AMRO Cup Silver League and seven in the Gold League. The last two were played among teams qualified for the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Championship.

COMPETITION STARTS WITH 10 MATCHES TODAY

Three matches will be played today in the first round among the six teams that have been placed in Group A. Quetta Bears will be pitted against HBL, the most successful team in Pakistan’s limited overs cricket history, at the Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar.

Lahore Lions play against Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) at the KRL Stadium in Rawalpindi while Islamabad Leopards will host Peshawar Panthers at Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad.

In the five-team Group B, Hyderabad Hawks are meeting Multan Tigers at the Sheikhupura Stadium and Sialkot Stallions start their campaign with a match against Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) at Jinnah Stadium Sialkot. Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL), winners of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy title this season, will be seen in action from the second round onwards.

Apart from the match between NBP and Pakistan Customs at Iqbal Stadium Faisalabad today in Group C, the other game will be played between Lahore Eagles and Karachi Zebras at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore. Faisalabad Wolves are the fifth team in this group.

In the six-team Group D, Karachi Dolphins are playing against Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) here at the National Stadium today. Abbottabad Rhinos will be facing Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) at the NBP Sports Complex Stadium in the city.

The third match today in Group D is between Rawalpindi Rams and newcomers Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) at Niaz Stadium Hyderabad.

After the completion of the group-league round, the top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super Eights round, which will be played in two pools of four sides each from March 31 to April 4. The two semifinals are scheduled to be played on April 7 and 8 with the final set aside for April 10.

Eight matches in all will be telecast live. Four of these are in Group D, all at the National Stadium in Karachi. Three others — one in the Super Eights Pool A round, one of the semifinals and the final — will be covered from Gaddafi Stadium Lahore and one Super Eights Pool A match from Iqbal Stadium Faisalabad will also have a direct telecast.

Four matches will be day/night encounters, including the final at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore on April 10. Two of these games will be played under floodlights here at the National Stadium and another one in Faisalabad.

HABIB BANK LEAD THE ROLL OF HONOUR

Although National Bank are the holders of the last major one-day title played in 2006-07, it is Habib Bank who have won more trophies than any other team in the history of Pakistan’s national limited overs cricket. They have as many as 13 titles to their credit, including six wins in the now defunct Wills Cup competition.

But National Bank and PIA, both with 12 one-day contest triumphs each, are breathing down Habib Bank’s neck.

PIA too won the Wills Cup on six occasions — for the record the other winners were Allied Bank and National Bank twice each and United Bank once.

The first ever national tournament that comprised limited overs matches was held back in 1971-72, which was known as the Pakistan Television (PTV) Trophy and was, naturally, telecast live by PTV. PIA emerged as the champions with Lahore ending as runners-up in the final played at Lahore’s Punjab University Ground. Incidentally, the PTV Trophy was never staged again.

Several other national one-day competitions were played during the subsequent seasons, before Wills Cup became the premier limited overs championship in March 1981. PIA were its first champions who, in fact, went on to win the first three editions making it a hat-trick of titles.

Among the regional/association teams, various Karachi outfits head the table with seven one-day trophies to their name. Agriculture Development Bank of Pakistan (ADBP), now known as ZTBL, have won four such titles and Allied Bank and United Bank three each.

Lahore teams have won two limited overs tournaments outright and the Lahore Lions twice shared the honours with Islamabad Leopards after rained-off finals — in either case in the ABN AMRO Cup Silver League.

Faisalabad have two trophies in their bag while the teams which have been Pakistan’s limited overs champions on a solitary occasion each are Peshawar (Panthers), WAPDA, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Reds, Multan and Sind(h).

If Habib Bank are the most successful team in Pakistan’s limited overs cricket, they have also been runners-up in such competitions on most occasions — a total of 10 times. PIA have suffered this fate nine times and United Bank in six instances.

Various Lahore teams took second place on five occasions, Rawalpindi four times and Karachi and National Bank three times each.

With two home series of One-day Internationals, against the Bangladesh and Sri Lanka teams coming up from the next month onwards, places for the Pakistan team will surely be up for grabs on the basis of players’ performance in the national One-day Cup competition.