Muhammad Babur
Lahore
Following three exciting results in the previous round, the eighth round of the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, which commences on Monday, promises to sustain the momentum as teams fight for the top two slots which will enable their qualification for the five-day new year’s final.
As anticipated, the points table further spiced up following Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s rise to the top after a stellar innings and 37 runs victory against Sindh, which helped them grab as many as 25 points, the most for any team in the seventh round.
Central Punjab’s resurgence has put the title defenders on the fourth spot from the bottom of the points table after two back-to-back wins.
Southern Punjab, who slipped to third spot following their defeat to Northern in the sixth round after spending four rounds at the top of the table, are just one point behind second-ranked Northern following their thumping win over Balochistan, who slipped one place to fifth position.
Sindh continue to have a poor run of form following their win in the season opener. In their six matches since, they have lost three; two of those defeats have come in their last two matches, and drawn three.
With only two rounds remaining after this one, Sindh, captained by Asad Shafiq, will be eager to accumulate maximum points and finish on a high.
