The revamped Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (first-class), which was won by the highly experienced Central Punjab recently, had several flaws.

The biggest issue was that the pitches were dead. Fast bowlers suffered a lot because there was no movement off the pitch or in the air. Kookaburra brand was used in the entire season. Most fast bowlers did not have much experience of bowling with it so they suffered. But this certainly will help them learn how to take wickets on a flat pitch and in conditions which don’t suit pacemen. The leading scorers chart shows that most of the highest scorers were top order batsmen and this is because of the dead nature of the pitches. The spinners took more wickets but they conceded a lot of runs as well. Spinners mostly took wickets when the batsmen were trying to make quick runs, usually after the team had reached 400 runs, the threshold for getting five batting points. Even some ordinary batsmen down the order scored runs.

A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) press release quoting the chairman Ehsan Mani said, “The first-class matches have entered fourth day, which was previously missing. The pacers are not getting undue assistance anymore and this has brought spinners into play, which will address the issue of the lack of spinners.”

I think Mani sahib does not know how spinners got wickets. The tracks had also no support for spinners because the weather was not that dry which could have helped widen the cracks in the tracks. Yes, I have been impressed by left-arm spinner Nauman Ali.

I believe that there should be some bounce in the pitches. Every centre should have its peculiar conditions. When players play domestic season on different tracks they will learn how to cope with the variety of conditions. And this will assist them in international cricket.

I appreciate that eight double centuries were made in the season. This was a real demonstration of patience from the batters. It will build Test temperament in the batsmen which Pakistan direly needs at this stage.

A new points system was introduced this season which made first innings interesting but second innings also should have such a points system. It would further enhance the quality of cricket.

The six-team event was held on home and away basis but it did not make any real change. For example, some teams faced each other as hosts and visitors on a single venue which was the home venue in fact of one of the two teams. In the next season it should not be repeated because there is every chance that the true hosts who play as visitors in one game on their home pitch may approach the curator for making track of its interest for its away match also.

The PCB should also reconsider nutrition matter of the players. How could a player have a healthy meal for just Rs700, from which tax is also deducted? At least, Rs1500 nutrition budget per day should be allocated for a cricketer.

According to team sources, umpiring standard was very low. The PCB should try to appoint umpires in the domestic season based on merit and experience only. Undue promotion of inexperienced umpires to the elite panel will only result in quality of competition going down.

There was a lot of difference between Central Punjab and the other teams. A group of selectors picked the squads which were reviewed by another panel. But according to sources, in the next season the six teams’ head coaches will sit with the chief selector to form teams. I hope more balanced sides will be formed for the next season.

For making balanced sides, players’ reshuffling will be required as some provinces are richer in talent than the others.

Cricket-wise the season was not so bad but the players suffered a lot of financial losses because of closure of departmental teams. And several first-class cricketers were seen this season doing part-time odd jobs for meeting their financial requirements. This is the biggest negative of the new structure. I firmly believe that abolishing departmental cricket will destabilise our cricket in the long run.

Hundreds of cricketers were also deprived of the opportunity of playing first-class cricket as they were part of the Second XIs. The PCB’s patron-in-Chief and Prime Minister Imran Khan’s main motive behind regionalised cricket was that it would draw large crowds. But there were few people watching the matches this season. The PCB also did nothing special for publicising the season. Hectic efforts would be required to popularise four-day and one-day domestic cricket. Even the attendance in the Karachi Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka was also discouraging.

Now come to the stats of the first-class season courtesy PCB media wing. As many as 77 centuries were scored this season — five more than the previous season — with champions Central Punjab leading the tally with 18.

The tally of double-centuries (eight) this season was twice that of last season. Two each were scored by the batsmen from Central Punjab, Northern and Sindh, while the remaining two were scored by Southern Punjab and Balochistan batsmen.

Four batsmen — Balochistan’s Imran Butt, Southern Punjab’s Sami Aslam, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Ashfaq Ahmed and Sindh’s Fawad Alam — scored four centuries each, the most in the tournament, and the highest individual score of the event was 249 not out, made by Sindh’s Abid Ali.

Central Punjab — who boasted a star-studded batting line-up with Babar Azam, Azhar Ali, Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad — recorded the highest innings total of the tournament when they amassed 675 for eight in their first innings of the final against Northern.

They, however, also recorded the lowest innings score — 113 all-out against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the ninth round — during their only defeat of the season.

Imran Butt of Balochistan was the standout batsman with 934 runs at an average of 62.27 in nine matches. The right-handed, 24-year-old batsman scored four centuries, including a double-century, and three half-centuries.

Central Punjab’s Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt were the second and third highest run-getters with 906 and 901 in 11 and 10 matches, respectively. Both batsmen registered three centuries and three half-centuries each. Southern Punjab’s Sami Aslam, fourth on the list, had the highest batting average amongst the top run-getters. He made 864 runs at a scintillating average of 78.44 with four centuries, including a double in his team’s tournament opener against Central Punjab at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, and a half-century.

Northern’s Faizan Riaz, promoted to first XI midway through the season, made 857 runs at an impressive average of 71.42 in eight matches and was the fifth highest run-getter.

Central Punjab were also dominant in the bowling department with seven — the most — of the 26 five-wicket hauls as pacer Aizaz Cheema and off-spinner Bilal Asif picked up two five-for each.

Northern captain Nauman Ali was the highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 54 scalps and had the best bowling figures in an innings in the tournament with eight for 71. The next four, in the list of highest wicket-takers, were also spinners.

The second and third spots were occupied by Central Punjab’s bowlers with spinners Bilal, who took eight for 112 in Northern’s second innings in the final, taking 43 and Zafar Gohar, the player of the tournament, taking 38.

Zafar also made the record for best bowling figures in the match with 11 for 133 against Northern at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium.

Balochistan’s Mohammad Asghar and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Sajid Khan were fourth and fifth with 27 and 25 dismissals, respectively.

The champions of the 2019-20 season were at the forefront in wicket-keeping department as well, thanks to Kamran Akmal. He accounted for 41 batsmen — 38 catches and three stumpings — in 11 matches.

The next on the list was his younger brother Adnan Akmal, who donning Southern Punjab’s colours, had 33 dismissals to his name.

With 26 dismissals in seven matches, Sindh captain Sarfaraz Ahmed is at number three.

Balochistan’s Imran had the most number of catches as a fielder with 16 grabs in nine matches.

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