Tahir Amin Malik
LAHORE: Ninety-three sides will be in action across the country in the City Cricket Association Tournament 2022-23 from today (19 June) which will provide a pathway to around 1,800 cricketers to graduate to the Cricket Association tournaments that include first-class, non first-class three-day, 50-over and 20-over competitions.
The squads of 13 sides from Balochistan and 19 sides of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are also announced and available here. The remaining squads from four Cricket Associations will be unveiled early next week.
The CCA squads have been selected through a robust process. The performers from last year’s CCA tournament, players that have featured in last year’s CA U19 events and are not eligible to feature in future U19 tournaments have been selected.
The remaining players were selected from open trials (preference to be given to performers from winter league). In Central Punjab Cricket Association, beside players’ performances in the CCA tournament, the players were also selected from two-day camp of performers of community cricket.
19 CCA teams of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been divided into four pools. The matches will commence in this jurisdiction from 19 June. Balochistan comprise 13 City Cricket Associations that are divided into three Pools. They will host the matches from 20 June. Sindh consist of 17 teams which are divided into four Pools. The matches in this part of the region will begin from 21 June.
Matches in Central Punjab, Northern and Southern Punjab jurisdictions will begin after a week’s delay due to pre-monsoon rain in this part of the country.
The three Cricket Associations will now hold their matches from 24 June. 19 teams from Central Punjab are split into four pools. 11 teams from Northern are divided into three pools, while 14 teams from Southern Punjab are divided into three pools.
The winners from Central Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh CCAs will be declared after group leaders progress to the semi-final with the top two teams playing the final. In contrast, Balochistan, Northern and Southern Punjab CCAs will be divided into three groups each with group leaders to progress to the triangular series stage and the side with most points to be adjudged as winner.
According to the event format, each match will be of two days with 100 overs to be bowled each day in six hours and 40 minutes of play with a one-hour break from 1200-1300. To encourage positive and result-oriented cricket, first innings will be limited to 75 overs per side and no bowler shall bowl more than 15 overs in an innings.