The domestic cricket season is set for an exciting phase as the Quaid e Azam Trophy 2026 27 begins on November 3. This year features a two tier system dividing teams into Gold and Silver categories. For Karachi cricket fans, the tournament brings dual excitement with local teams competing across both divisions under a promotion and relegation system.
In the premier Gold tier, Karachi Blues enter the tournament as the defending champions. Winning a tournament once is always difficult, but defending a title is a much tougher challenge. The Karachi Blues players will need to put in double the effort this time around. Interestingly, while performing exceptionally well brings great rewards, it has also brought a bit of a challenge for the regional side. The players did so well recently that half of the regular Karachi Blues team is currently away on national duty. Consequently, the team cannot field the exact same force that won them the title, but this opens up a fantastic opportunity for young players to step up and prove their worth in a defending championship squad.
With designated captain Saud Shakeel among those bound for national commitments, it remains to be seen how many matches he will actually be available to play. This opens up a major question mark regarding who will stand in to lead the team during his absence. While Muhammad Ghazi Ghori has captained regional sides in the past, he is also away on national duty with the Pakistan Test squad, meaning he is not an option to fill the leadership void. This leaves the team management with plenty of tactical questions to resolve before taking the field.
There is further positive news on the selection front as the season progresses. The players who are currently away on national duty or recovering from fitness issues will become available for selection once they are released from international commitments or clear their rehabilitation. To further boost the developmental aspect of first class cricket, every team will adhere to the tournament rule making it mandatory to include at least one Under 21 player in their playing eleven. This regulation ensures the inclusion of several promising young faces across the squads to get direct exposure at the top level.
Karachi Blues will face tough competition in the Gold tier from seven other regional teams including Faisalabad, FATA, Lahore Whites, Islamabad, Peshawar, Multan, and Sialkot Blues. The Gold tier consists of 29 first class matches running until December 12. The top two teams from the league stage will qualify for the five day final scheduled from December 15 to December 19. Stakes are high as the team finishing last in the Gold tier will face relegation at the end of the season.
Meanwhile, Karachi Whites will represent the city in the Silver tier. This division features twelve teams split evenly into two groups of six. Karachi Whites are placed in Group B, and their group stage matches will take place across venues in Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, and Bahawalpur.
While Karachi Whites travel for their fixtures, local cricket grounds will still see plenty of action. All group matches for Group A will be hosted right here in Karachi at SBP sports complex Karachi, UBL Sports complex Karachi, and KCCA stadium karachi.
The Silver tier league matches will run throughout November, concluding on November 30 after a total of 31 first class matches. The winners of Group A and Group B will then meet in a five day final from December 3 to December 7. The champion of the Silver tier will earn direct promotion to the Gold tier for the next season, replacing the relegated team.
Karachi Blues Gold Tier Squad
The defending champions will be led by national star Saud Shakeel however it is yet to be seen how many matches he plays due to national duty, with the experienced Syed Iqbal Imam guiding the side as head coach.
The main squad consists of Saud Shakeel (captain), Saim Ayub, Omair Bin Yousuf, Abdul Basit, Umer Farooq (U21), Danish Aziz, Saifullah Bangash, Rameez Aziz, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Haroon Arshad (U21), Afnan Khan, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Muhammad Asghar, Muhammad Umar, Muhammad Hamza Sohail, Muhammad Raza Chandio, and Asad Umar (U21).
The reserves and national duty list includes Shan Masood (recovering from injury), Abrar Ahmed, Zaryab Shah (U21), Wahaj Riaz, Abdullah Fazal, Saad Baig, Saqib Khan, Rizwanullah (U21), Niqab Shafiq (U21), and Mir Hamza.
Karachi Whites Silver Tier Squad
Jahanzaib Sultan takes charge of a comprehensive twenty five player squad, with former domestic veteran Saeed Bin Nasir appointed as the head coach.
The squad members are Jahanzaib Sultan (captain), Muhammad Taha, Aibaad Khan (U21), Muhammad Usman Rahim, Khawaja Muhammad Nafay (U21), Huzaifa Ahsan (U21), Muhammad Taha Mehmood, Kashif Ali, Ghulam Ashraf (wicketkeeper), Saifullah, Rehman Ghani, Maaz Khurram Amin, Fahad Amin, Abdul Rauf (U21), Asadullah Hamza, Imran Shah, Muhammad Ali Butt, Sabeh Siddiqui, Fahad Ansari (wicketkeeper), Syed Shah Raza Naqvi, Najeeb ur Rehman, Arif Yaqoob, Muhammad Makki, Muhammad Azaan (U21), and Asad Akhtar.
Both Karachi teams have clear objectives for the upcoming weeks. Karachi Blues look to protect their crown at the top level while Karachi Whites aim to secure that solitary promotion spot to join them next year.
