LAHORE: Karachi Blues outclassed defending champions Sialkot by a massive 218 runs in the final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, sealing their 22nd title here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday evening.

Karachi lifted the trophy along with a prize purse of Rs7.5 million, while Sialkot received Rs4 million as runners-up.

Abdullah Fazal, named player of the final, earned a Rs100,000 award, while Ali Usman (best bowler) and Saad Baig — who swept the honours for best batter, best wicket-keeper and player of the tournament — received Rs250,000 for each of the three feats.

Sialkot, chasing an improbable 533 for victory, resumed the final day on 12 without loss and were dismissed for 314 in 71.1 overs. Though Afzaal Manzoor, Abdullah Shafique and Hamza Nazar registered half-centuries, Karachi’s pace spearhead Saqib Khan delivered another decisive spell to secure the title for Saud Shakeel’s side.

Saqib, who claimed his third five-for of the tournament and finished with 47 wickets overall — just one behind leading wicket-taker Ali Usman (48) — struck early on day five, ending a 35-run opening stand between Mohammad Hurraira (39 off 65, five fours) and Azan Awais (11).

Abdullah Shafique (58 off 98, six fours and a six) added partnerships of 46 with Hurraira and 40 with Abdul Rehman (18 off 22, three fours), but Karachi continued to chip away, reducing Sialkot to 144-5 in 38.2 overs.

From there, Afzaal (63 off 48, 13 fours) and Hamza (56 off 84, nine fours) staged resistance, combining for a 112-run sixth-wicket stand off 107 balls.

But Rameez Aziz broke through in the 57th over, triggering a collapse in which Sialkot lost their last five wickets for 58 runs. Saqib finished with match figures of 9-165 from 44 overs while Mushtaq Ahmed and Rameez Aziz picked up two wickets apiece.

SCOREBOARD

KARACHI BLUES (1st Innings) 340 (Abdullah Fazal 88, Usman Khan 82; Mohammad Ali 4-79)

SIALKOT (1st Innings) 266 (Mohsin Riaz 71, Hamza Nazar 64; Saqib Khan 4-79, Mohammad Umar 4-79)

KARACHI BLUES (2nd Innings) 458 (Haroon Arshad 116, Abdullah Fazal 114; Usama Mir 5-98)

SIALKOT (2nd Innings):

Mohammad Hurraira c Saad b Umar 39

Azan Awais lbw b Saqib 11

Abdullah Shafique c Abdullah b Saqib 59

Abdul Rehman c Abdullah b Rameez 18

Mohsin Riaz c Shan b Saqib 6

Hamza Nazar c Saad b Mushtaq 56

Afzal Manzoor c Saad b Rameez 63

Hasan Ali c Haroon b Mushtaq 25

Usama Mir not out 7

Mohammad Ali c Saad b Saqib 6

Mohammad Hasnain b Saqib 0

EXTRAS (B-8, LB-6, W-10) 24

TOTAL (all out, 71.1 overs) 314

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-35 (Azan), 2-81 (Hurraira), 3-121 (Rehman), 4-143 (Mohsin), 5-144 (Abdullah), 6-256 (Afzal), 7-281 (Hamza), 8-304 (Hasan), 9-310 (Ali)

BOWLING: Saqib 20.1-1-86-5, Umar 13-2-61-1 (1w), Mushtaq 17-1-82-2 (3w), Kashif 10-3-35-0, Aziz 10-0-33-2 (2w), Haroon 1-0-3-0

RESULT: Karachi Blues won by 218 runs.

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Abdullah Fazal

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2025