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2017–18 National T20 Cup

The 2017–18 National T20 Cup was a Twenty20 domestic cricket competition that was played in Pakistan.[1] It was the 14th season of the National Twenty20 Cup in Pakistan. It was originally scheduled to take place in August and September 2017 with eight teams competing.[2] However, in August 2017, the tournament was postponed until November 2017 because of the 2017 Independence Cup and Pakistan's series against Sri Lanka.[3][4] All the matches were originally scheduled to be played at the Multan Cricket Stadium and the Iqbal Stadium.[2] Following the revision of the competition's schedule, all the fixtures took place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.[5]

The tournament started on 11 November and was scheduled to conclude on 26 November 2017.[6][7] However, the semi-final fixtures were initially postponed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) by one day, following a protest by a religious party, which required more than 8,500 police and troops to remove the protesters.[8][9] The next day, the PCB postponed the matches because of the "prevailing situation" and said they would announce new dates for the tournament at a later point.[8] The PCB also confirmed that the Super Eight section of the 2017–18 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy would also be postponed until a later date too.[8] On 27 November 2017 the PCB confirmed that the semi-finals and final would take place on 29 and 30 November 2017, respectively.[10]

The defending champions, Karachi Blues, were not invited by the PCB to compete in this year's competition.[11] Ahead of the tournament, the PCB recalled thirteen players who were playing in domestic competitions in England and in the 2017 Caribbean Premier League (CPL).[12] However, shortly afterwards the PCB allowed players to return from the CPL and English domestic fixtures if they wished.[13]

In the penultimate group-stage match, between Lahore Whites and Islamabad, batsmen Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt made an unbeaten opening stand of 209 runs. This was the highest opening partnership in Twenty20 cricket, beating the previous best of 207 runs set by Joe Denly and Daniel Bell-Drummond of Kent in the 2017 NatWest t20 Blast.[14] Akmal became the first batsman for Pakistan to score 150 runs in a T20 match.[15] He also hit the most number of sixes in a domestic T20 match in Pakistan and became the third batsman to make five consecutive fifties in T20 cricket.[16]

Lahore Whites were the first side to qualify for the semi-finals, when they beat Peshawar by 27 runs on 21 November 2017.[17] The next day, Lahore Blues also qualified for the semi-finals, with a five-wicket victory against Islamabad.[18] In the penultimate round of group-stage fixtures, Faisalabad beat Peshawar by five wickets to advance to the semi-finals.[19] In the final group-stage match, Federally Administered Tribal Areas beat Faisalabad by four wickets to progress to the semi-finals, having a superior net run rate than Karachi Whites, after both teams finished on seven points each.[20]

In the semi-finals, Saeed Ajmal played in his final match of his 25-year-long career, playing for Faisalabad.[21] In the first semi-final, Lahore Whites defeated Faisalabad by 10 runs. In the second semi-final, Lahore Blues defeated Federally Administered Tribal Areas, also by 10 runs, therefore ensuring an all-Lahore final.[22] Lahore Blues went on to beat Lahore Whites by 7 wickets in the final.[23]

Squads

Ahead of the tournament, the following players were selected:[24]

Points table

  Team qualified for the Semi-finals

Fixtures

Round-robin

  • Faisalabad won the toss and elected to field.
  • Lahore Whites won the toss and elected to field.
  • Federally Administered Tribal Areas won the toss and elected to field.
  • Faisalabad won the toss and elected to field.
  • Lahore Whites won the toss and elected to field.
  • Peshawar won the toss and elected to field.
  • Rain prevented any further play.
  • No toss.
  • No play was possible due to rain.
  • Lahore Whites won the toss and elected to field.
  • Rain prevented any further play.
  • Asad Raza (Faisalabad) made his T20 debut.
  • No toss.
  • No play was possible due to rain.
  • Peshawar won the toss and elected to field.
  • Rawalpindi won the toss and elected to field.
  • Federally Administered Tribal Areas won the toss and elected to field.
  • Rawalpindi won the toss and elected to field.
  • Faisalabad won the toss and elected to bat.
  • Lahore Whites won the toss and elected to bat.
  • Karachi Whites won the toss and elected to field.
  • Obaidullah (Peshawar) made his T20 debut.
  • Islamabad won the toss and elected to field.
  • Federally Administered Tribal Areas won the toss and elected to field.
  • Lahore Whites won the toss and elected to bat.
  • Rawalpindi won the toss and elected to bat.
  • Adnan Ghaus (Rawalpindi) made his T20 debut.
  • Karachi Whites won the toss and elected to field.
  • Nabi Gul (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) made his T20 debut.
  • Islamabad won the toss and elected to bat.
  • Rohail Nazir (Islamabad) made his T20 debut.
  • Lahore Blues won the toss and elected to field.
  • Mohammad Ismail (Rawalpindi) made his T20 debut.
  • Faisalabad won the toss and elected to field.
  • Islamabad won the toss and elected to field.
  • Federally Administered Tribal Areas won the toss and elected to field.

Knockout stage

Semi-finals

  • Faisalabad won the toss and elected to field.
  • Federally Administered Tribal Areas won the toss and elected to field.

Final

  • Lahore Whites won the toss and elected to bat.

References

  1. ^ "National T 20 Cup 2017 Player Selection Ceremony". Pakistan Cricket Board. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  2. ^ a b "National T20 Cup 2017 is set to begin from 25th August". Research Snipers. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  3. ^ "National T20 Cup postponed till Nov". The News. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  4. ^ "PCB postpones National T20 Cup". Dunya News. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  5. ^ "Cool & Cool T20 Cup 2017-18". Pakistan Cricket Board. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  6. ^ "PCB prohibits quartet from playing cricket". The Tribune. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  7. ^ "Cool & Cool T20 Cup 2017-18". Pakistan Cricket Board. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  8. ^ a b c "Religious unrest disrupts domestic cricket in Pakistan". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  9. ^ "Pakistani police launch operation to end blasphemy "siege"". Egypt Independent. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  10. ^ "National T20 Cup semis and final on November 29 and 30". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  11. ^ "PCB excludes defending champs Karachi in National T20 Cup 2017". Business Recorder. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  12. ^ "PCB recalls 13 players from CPL and English county circuit". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  13. ^ "PCB allows players to return to CPL, English counties". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  14. ^ "Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal set opening record in Pakistan's National T20 Cup". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  15. ^ "Stats: Kamran Akmal, Salman Butt break world record for highest T20 opening partnership". SportsKeeda. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  16. ^ "Records tumble in Rawalpindi as Kamran Akmal hits 71-ball 150 in T20 Cup". Zee News. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  17. ^ "Butt takes Lahore Whites into semi-final". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  18. ^ "FATA triumph in run fest, Lahore Blues beat Islamabad". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  19. ^ "Khalid heroics takes Faisalabad home". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  20. ^ "Kamran Akmal, Butt blitz record opening stand in Lahore win". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  21. ^ "Wish my last game was an international match - Ajmal". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  22. ^ "All-Lahore final set for National T20 Cup". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  23. ^ "Lahore Blues cruise to National T20 Cup title". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  24. ^ "Drafting done as Multan, Faisalabad to host National T20 Cup". The Nation. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  25. ^ "2017–18 National T20 Cup Points table". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 24 November 2017.

External links