ISLAMABAD, Nov 26 (APP): The league stage of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2025-26 concluded with Faisalabad losing to Bahawalpur and Peshawar falling short against Islamabad, while the other three games of the ninth round ended on day three.
The final of the tournament – to be played between Karachi Blues and Sialkot – will return to Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore and is slated to take place from December 1 to 5 after the venue played host to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 finals earlier.
Bahawalpur spoiled Faisalabad’s bid to join Karachi in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2025-26 final as they beat them by four wickets chasing the 310-run target in 85.1 overs at the Marghzar Cricket Ground, Islamabad.
Faisalabad would have pipped Sialkot by at least two points on the table had they collected the winning points as well against Bahawalpur, who dug deep late on day three and then on day four to eke out their second win of the tournament.
Despite the triumph, Bahawalpur finished ninth and will be relegated to the Hanif Mohammad Trophy in the next season along with Abbottabad, who finished tenth with a solitary win.
Resuming the day four from overnight score of 124-2 in 28 overs and requiring 186 more runs to win, Bahawalpur slipped to 142-5. No.7 batter Mohammad Sheharyar (92, 141b, 10x4s, 2x6s) and skipper Saifullah Bangash (76 not out, 136b, 9x4s, 1×6) stitched a 157-run stand to outfox Faisalabad.
For Faisalabad, Khurram Shahzad, Afaq Afridi, Ali Asfand and Ahmed Safi Abdullah picked up one wicket each.
Musa Khan – who became the seventh bowler in the history of Pakistan’s first-class cricket and first in ten years to take four wickets in as many balls – bagged his ninth first-class five-wicket haul (5-70) and third match haul of 10 or more wickets (10-149) to hand Islamabad a thumping innings and 77-run win over Peshawar at the Diamond Cricket Ground, Islamabad.
Resuming the day from 183-2 in 41 overs following-on, Peshawar folded for 255 in 52.2 overs as Musa (11-0-70-5) and Naqeebullah (8.2-1-39-4) ran through their batting lineup with only three batters entering double figures.
Waqar Ahmed (83, 102b, 10x4s, 1×6) and Israrullah (41, 58b, 8x4s) added 62 runs for the third wicket before Musa’s hat-trick sent back Zubair Khan, Abbas Ali and Mohammad Haris for golden ducks. Peshawar finished fourth with five wins and three losses, while Islamabad ended seventh with two wins and five losses.