Fahad Academy annex Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket title

Fahad Academy annexed the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), by overpowering Qadri Public School by four wickets in the final at the National Stadium Karachi on November 13.

Fahad Academy, who had gone down fighting against Beaconhouse School System in the final of the previous edition of the tournament at the same venue a couple of years ago, made amends by prevailing over their opponents while chasing a target of 222 with nearly six overs to spare with their all-rounder Rahman Ghani clinching Man of the Match award.

Put into bat, Qadri Model School was bowled out for 221 in 36.5 overs with opener S M Shaheer (81 off 79 balls) and number three Kashif Ali (42 off 46 balls) having laid a strong platform.

Fahad Academy’s spin trio of Bilal Agha (2-23), Rahman Ghani (2-28) and Mohammad Umair (2-35) brought their side back in the game with their fine spells which didn’t allow the total to get into mammoth proportions.

Having successfully chased down the target of 317 in the semifinal, Fahad Academy looked the favourites to clinch the issue when they began their innings needing 222 off 40 overs.

Their semifinal hero, Mohammad Rehan, who cracked an incredible unbeaten double century, didn’t last long this time, however, perishing after scoring a whirlwind 19 off eight balls.

The responsibility was taken over by the Fahad Academy skipper Mahmood Shah, who remained undefeated on 76 off 100 balls to take his time home with four wickets in hand. He shared 144-run third wicket stand with Rahman Ghani, who made 66 off 70 balls.

Qadri Public School brought about a collapse in the closing stages by capturing four quick wickets but it was too late to change the course of the match.

Nadeem Omar, Managing, Director, Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd, who was the chief guest in the prize distribution ceremony, presented the winners’ trophy alongwith a purse of Rs 100,000 to the Fahad Academy skipper Mahmood Shah while the runner-up trophy, alongwith a sum of Rs 50,000, was collected by Abdul Basit, the captain of Qadri Public School.

Cash prizes of Rs 5,000 each were also presented to the outstanding individual performers which included Rashid Chandio (best fielder), Anas Ilyas (best wicketkeeper), Talha Khan (best bowler), Saim Ayub (best batsman) and Rehan Tanoli (special award) while Usman Shan got cash award of Rs 10,000 for being declared Man of the Tournament.

The welcome speech was delivered by Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman, PVCA, and besides the chief guest, Nadeem Omar, there were brief remarks from Moin Khan, Irfan Mirza and Alamgir Ahmed. Also present in the closing ceremony were Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui, Iqbal Umar, Masroor Mirza, Syed Asad Murtaza, Shariq Hasib Khan, Nasrullah Khan, Amjad Islam and Hasnain Bokhari.

Skipper Abdul Basit powers Qadri Public School into Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket final

Skipper Abdul Basit’s fine all-round performance powered Qadri Public School into the final of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), as they defeated Springfield School by three wickets in the first semifinal at the National Stadium Karachi on November 11.

The other semifinal will be played between Fahad Academy and Kamran Public School at the same venue on November 12 and its winners will take on Qadri Public School in the final also to be staged at the National Stadium on November 13.

The captain led by example as Abdul Basit, adjudged Man of the Match, came out trumps with both bat and ball to become the difference between the two evenly matched sides in what turned out to be rather close encounter. He received the award from chief guest Syed Asad Murtaza, Marketing Manager, Bank Alfalah Limited.

Qadri Public School, after a superb opening stand, suffered a horrible middle-order collapse in pursuit of the target of 166 in 40 overs before eventually getting it with only three wickets and four overs in hand.

Batting first, after winning the toss, Springfield School recovered to post a fighting total of 165, after having lost the first four wickets with only 45 runs on the board. Ibad-ur-Rahman led the recovery with a fluent half century, striking seven boundaries in his 54 off 59 balls.

Then Badar Qureshi, who came at number nine, got some useful runs under pressure. He whacked four boundaries in 32 off 37 balls, dominating the 32-run last wicket stand with Taimur Mustafa whose contribution was a mere couple of runs.

Qadri Public School’s medium-pacer Mohibullah Shaikh (4-35) rocked the top order while the off-spin of Abdul Basit (2-29) helped in bowling out Springfield School for 165 in 36 overs.

Abdul Basit (57 off 78 balls) then featured in 95-run opening partnership with S M Shaheer (51 off 63 balls) which put them in the driving seat. Both the openers hammered seven boundaries in their half centuries. Springfield School fought back through the spin duo of Badar Qureshi (3-29) and Ibad-ur-Rahman (2-20) which saw the batting side slump from 131 for one to 151 for six.

Medium-pacer Saim Ayub also took a couple of crucial wickets in his second spell to open up the contest but Qadri Public School was taken over the line by S M Sharjeel who remained undefeated on 24 off 32 balls with the help of two fours.

Asad-ul-Haq powers Springfield School into Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket semifinals

All-rounder Asad-ul-Haq powered Springfield School into the semifinals of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), as they knocked down the defending champions, Beaconhouse School System, by 46 runs in the quarter-finals at the Naya Nazimabad Lawai Stadium.

The quarter-final round came to an end with this match with Springfield School, Fahad Academy, Qadri Public School and Kamran Public School having advanced to the semifinals, scheduled to be held at the National Stadium, Karachi, next week.

Asad-ul-Haq, declared Man of the Match, produced an impressive all-round effort which enabled Springfield School to overpower the holders, Beaconhouse School System.

Put into bat by the Beaconhouse School System skipper, Ammar Iqbal, Springfield School overcame a shaky start to reach a competitive total of 177, getting bowled out on the final ball of the innings.

The recovery was led by Asad-ul-Haq, whose counter-attacking 40 off 33 balls with the help of eight boundaries shifted the pressure on the bowlers. Mubashir Ahmed (28 off 33 balls), Badar Qureshi (26 off 52 balls) and Syed Ali Nasim (25 off 42 balls) chipped in with useful contributions to keep the scoreboard ticking.

Beaconhouse School System’s left-arm spinner Huzaifa Ali Khan (3-35) and off-spinner Shayan Khan (2-22) prevented the total getting into mammoth proportions while medium-pacer Ahmed Kabir (2-42) had dislodged both the openers cheaply.

Chasing a target of 178 in 40 overs, Beaconhouse School System got a decent start through the opening pair of Haris Bin Tahir and Zeeshan Iqbal, who added 41 for the first wicket in quick time.

Zeeshan Iqbal departed after scoring 24 off 19 balls with the help of one six and four fours but Haris Bin Tahir stayed at the crease much longer, striking one six and six fours in his 60 off 82.

Things, however, started to happen with the introduction of spin, as left-armer Badar Qureshi, after breaking the opening partnership, got another couple of wickets in his eight-over spell, yielding 33 overs. The other left-arm spinner, Asad-ul-Haq, bowled even better, returning the figures of three for 20 off eight overs.

Off-spinner Mubashir Amin and leg-spinner Syed Ali Nasim also chipped in with a wicket each as Beaconhouse School System was bowled out for 131 in 33 overs, losing their last eight wickets for only 28 runs.

Rahman Ghani guides Fahad Academy into Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket semifinals

All-rounder Rahman Ghani guided Fahad Academy into the semifinals of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), as they edged out Ebrahim Ali Bhai School by four wickets in the quarter-finals at the Naya Nazimabad Lawai Stadium.

Fahad Academy has now joined Qadri Public School and Kamran Public School in the semifinal line-up which will be completed by the winners of the last quarter-final tie between Beaconhouse School System and Springfield School.

Rahman Ghani, adjudged Man of the Match, came up with invaluable all-round performance to keep Fahad Academy afloat as they were seriously tested by Ebrahim Ali Bhai School.

Batting first, after winning the toss, Ebrahim Ali Bhai School squandered the brilliant start to their innings by getting bowled out for a paltry 117 in 31 overs. They pulled it back while defending the low total only to be denied by Rahman Ghani’s brilliant knock. 

Openers Asad Amin (42 off 97 balls) and Zia-ur-Rahman (32 off 33 balls) provided Ebrahim Ali Bhai School a solid foundation by adding 61 for the first wicket. None of their teammates could emulate them as the introduction of spinners turned the game.

Leg-spinner Hammad Hasan (4-8) and Rahman Ghani (2-9) rocked their innings and Fahad Academy became the favourites after bringing about a sensational collapse which saw Ebrahim Ali Bhai School lose 10 wickets for only 56 runs.

Fahad Academy, chasing 118 off 40 overs, ran into trouble as the top half of their batting was back in the hut with only 68 runs on the board. It was the left-arm spin of Mohammad Usman, who picked up four wickets for 23 runs, which opened up the contest.

Rahman Ghani, however, stood calm and his unbeaten 46 off 55 balls allowed Fahad Academy to get over the line with four wickets and as many as 11.2 overs in hand. He hit five boundaries in his match-winning knock.

Kamran Public School storm into Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket semifinals

Kamran Public School stormed into the semifinals of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), by whipping Oasis English Secondary School by 89 runs in the quarter-finals at the Naya Nazimabad Lawai Stadium.


Qadri Public School had already entered semifinals after having knocked out St Patrick High School in the first quarter-final. In the remaining quarter-finals, Fahad Academy will be up against Ebrahim Ali Bhai School and Beaconhouse School System will take on Springfield School.

Choosing to bat, after winning the toss, Kamran Public School amassed an impressive total of 241 for six in the allotted 40 overs. Oasis English Secondary School, in reply, was bowled out for 143 in 30.5 overs.

Kamran Public School got off a flying start as the 101-run opening partnership between Anas Ilyas and Tariq Bakht laid the foundation for a big score.

Tariq Bakht departed after making 35 off 44 balls with the help of four boundaries but Anas Ilyas stayed longer, contributing 87 off 83 balls with the help of one six and four fours.

Oasis English Secondary School stemmed the flow of runs through leg-spinner Talha Ahsan (3-43) but Kamran Public School succeeded in raising the total past 225, thanks to the fighting unbroken 49-run seventh wicket stand between Abdul Moiz (42 off 38 balls) and Osama Adnan (24 off 32 balls).

Chasing a target of 229 in 40 overs, Oasis English Secondary School also started their innings on a positive note with openers Mohammad Saeed (43 off 43 balls) and Mohammad Kashan (21 off 19 balls) adding 63 for the first wicket in rapid time.

The complexion of the game changed dramatically when both the openers were run out in quick succession. Kamran Public School regained control through the spin trio of Obaidullah (3-26), Osama Adnan (3-33) and Mohammad Ovais (2-21) as Oasis English Secondary School lost their last seven wickets for only 63 to be all out for 152.

Kamran Public School’s opening batsman Anas Ilyas was adjudged Man of the Match for his 87, edging out skipper Osama Adnan, who claimed three wickets besides scoring an unbeaten 24.

Knockout phase of Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament underway

The Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), has reached the knockout stage upon the conclusion of 48 league matches.

The tournament, contested by 32 teams, which got underway at the Karachi Gymkhana Cricket Ground on September 1, will be concluding, as per the original schedule, with the final and the prize distribution ceremony at the National Stadium, Karachi, on November 13.

Both the semifinals, also to be staged at the National Stadium on November 11 and 12, alongwith the final, will be televised live.

All the four quarter-finals will be played at Naya Nazimabad Lawai Stadium. In the first quarter-final, Qadri Model School has beaten St Patrick High School by six wickets while in the remaining quarter-finals, to be held during the current week, Kamran Public School will be taking on Oasis English Secondary School, Fahad Academy will lock horns with Ebrahim Ali Bhai School and Beaconhouse School System will combat Springfield School.

At the end of the league matches, Beaconhouse School System, Fahad Academy, Qadri Model School, Oasis English Secondary School, Springfield School, Ebrahim Ali Bhai School, St Patrick High School and Kamran Public School had emerged champions in Groups A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H respectively to advance to the quarter-finals.

Like the league matches, the knockout fixtures will also be limited to 40 overs per innings and no bowler will be permitted to bowl more than eight overs in a match whereas in order to encourage fast bowlers, the teams will not be allowed to use spinners during the first six overs.

This is for the eighth time when the PVCA has successfully organized the Inter-Schools tournament in Karachi, having launched it with great fanfare in 1999. The event is being sponsored by Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd with Bank Alfalah Ltd being the co-sponsors.

Qadri Model School, The Educators School victorious in Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket

The spinners played the decisive role as Qadri Model School and The Educators School prevailed over Zeeshan Secondary School and Khan Secondary School respectively in the latest league matches of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA).

Both the encounters proved to be low scoring affairs as Qadri Model School overcame Zeeshan Secondary School by five wickets in the Group C at the Eastern Star Ground while The Educators School defeated Khan Secondary School by 20 runs in the Group D at the KCCA Stadium.

Electing to bat, after winning the toss, Zeeshan Secondary School was spun out for 108 in 21.5 overs but they fought back to reduce their opponents to 76 for five at one stage.

Qadri Model School, however, settled the issue with the 33-run unbroken sixth wicket stand which allowed them to win with as many as 16.4 overs to spare.

All-rounder Abdul Basit, declared Man of the Match, played the key role in guiding Qadri Model School to victory. He followed a five-wicket haul with a crucial knock of 30.

Zeeshan Secondary School seemed heading towards a big total before being tormented by the spin duo of Abdul Basit (5-21) and Saad Bin Yousuf (3-23) as they lost their last nine wickets for only 61 runs to be bowled out for 108. Mohammad Bilal (36 off 59 balls) was their topscorer with the next highest contribution coming from Mr Extras (31).

 Chasing a modest target of 109 in 40 overs, Qadri Model School lost their first three wickets, all of them to medium-pacer Waleed Khan, rather cheaply. Opener Abdul Basit’s 30 off 44 balls revived them but the match became alive when his departure was followed by another quick wicket.


It was Auranhzeb Ahmed’s unbeaten 38 off 56 balls which sealed the fate of the match in Qadri

Model School’s favour. He was assisted by Mohammad Sami, who returned undefeated on 19 off 22 balls.

In the other game, The Educators School, who batted first after calling correctly, slumped to 138 all out in 33.5 overs against Khan Secondary School having lost their last nine wickets for only 40.

They managed to defend what looked like a below-par total successfully by bowling their opponents out for only 118 in 33.1 overs.

Fine knocks from number three Mohammad Moazzam (34 off 47 balls) and opener Aryan Ali (31 off 50 balls) had laid the platform for a big total for The Educators Schools who collapsed dramatically against the spin duo of Majid Aslam (4-40) and Sher Bahadur (3-27).

Khan Secondary School’s followed identical pattern as they also lost their last nine wickets for only 55, after 62-run second wicket partnership between number three Mohammad Farhan (36 off 76 balls) and opener Aman Khan (29 off 31 balls).

The Educators School’s left-arm spinner, Uzair Ali Khan, adjudged Man of the Match, produced a sensational spell of 6.1 overs during which he claimed four wickets for only eight runs. He was supported by leg-spinner Sameer Ahmed (3-20) and off-spinner Zaid Bin Haris (2-4).

Zeeshan Secondary School, Qadri Model School triumph in Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket

Zeeshan Secondary School and Qadri Model School overcame their respective rivals in the Group C encounters of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA).

Zeeshan Secondary School defeated St Paul English High School by four wickets at the KCCA Stadium and Qadri Model School overwhelmed Qamar-e-Bani Hashim School by six wickets at the TMC Ground to inch closer towards securing a place in the quarter-finals.

Electing to bat first, after winning the toss, St Paul English High School scored 185 for nine in the allotted 40 overs against Zeeshan Secondary School.

St Paul English High School was helped by 51 extras, inclusive of 38 wides while Sohaib Sameer (30 off 49 balls) and opener Umar Abdullah (27 off 51) were the leading scorers and the wickets were shared between off-spinner Mohammad Muneeb (2-27) and medium pacers Mohammad Faizan (2-27) and Mohammad Bilal (2-30).

Chasing a target of 186 in 40 overs, Zeeshan Secondary School was in a spot of bother at 63 for three before being rescued by Mohammad Muneeb and Haris Ijaz, who added 65 for the fourth wicket. Mohammad Muneeb departed after scoring 30 off 46 balls but Haris Ijaz, adjudged Man of the Match, continued to dominate the bowling and his 47-ball 69 with the help of two sixes and seven fours turned the tide decisively in Zeeshan Secondary School’s favour.

He added another 51 for the fifth wicket with Mohammad Bilal, who returned undefeated on 21 off 26 balls as the winning runs came in the 33rd over.

Abdul Basit’s fine all-round performance helped Qadri Model School to overpower Qamar-e-Bani Hashim School in the other match of the day.

Qamar-e-Bani Hashim School, who batted first, was bowled out for 97 in 23.1 overs with Mr Extras (25) being the topscorer. Opener Mohammad Taqi (17 off 28 balls) and Haider Ali Zaidi (17 off 19 balls) offered some resistance but they lost their nine wickets for only 51.

Medium-pacer Auranzeb Ahmed (3-29) was the pick of the Qadri Model School bowlers with the spin trio of Abdul Basit (2-15), Saad Bin Yousuf (2-15) and Azizullah (2-18) doing the rest.

Qadri Model School needed only 9.5 overs to knock off the target 98 with Abdul Basit, making 32 off 20 balls with the help of one six and five fours, leading the victory charge. He was declared Man of the Match.

Victories for Qamar-e-Bani Hashim School, Qadri Model School in Omar Trophy

Mohammad Hussain’s terrific all-round performance powered Qamar-e-Bani Hashim School to a stunning 237-run triumph over Zeeshan Secondary School while Syed Yawar Imam and Saad Bin Yousuf spun Qadri Model School to 44-run victory over St Paul English School rivals in the Group C matches of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA).

Batting first, after winning the toss at the Eastern Star Ground, Qamar-e-Bani Hashim School overcame a shaky start to post a mammoth total of 326 in 38.5 overs before bowling out Zeeshan Secondary School for only 89 in 17 overs.

Opener Mohammad Hussain led the carnage with 89 off 66 balls, cracking one a six and 12 fours, after three wickets had gone down for 29.

He added 155 for the fourth wicket with Mohammad Haider, who struck 11 boundaries in his 64 off 59 balls.

Kazim Hussain’s 50 off 47 balls sustained the momentum while the late flourish was provided by Ali Akbar’s 36 off 19 balls containing one six and five fours. The contribution of 49 extras also helped in boosting the Qamar-e-Bani Hashim School total.

The score could have been even higher without the wicket-taking acts of medium-pacers Waleed Khan (4-58) and Mohammad Faizan (2-63) while off-spinner Mohammad Muneeb (2-39) was also the most economical bowler of the innings.

Set to score 327 in 40 overs, Zeeshan Secondary School crashed to 89 all out after being 57 for two. Opener Mohammad Ashar (23 off 24 balls) and Mohammad Bilal (14 off 18 balls) were the only batsmen to enter double figures as the innings was wrecked by the off-spin of Mohammad Hussain (4-21) who was assisted by off-spinner Haider Zaidi (2-11) and medium-pacer Rehan Abbas (2-14).

Mohammad Hussain of Qamar-e-Bani Hashim School was the unanimous choice for Man of the Match award for his superb all-round effort. In the day’s other game Qadri Model School, batting first after calling correctly, was bowled out for 176 in 36.4 overs at the KCCA Stadium but they defended it successfully by routing St Paul English School for 132 in 35.1 overs.

Opener S M Shaheer (49 off 58 balls) provided a flying start to Qadri Model School but they lost their way in the middle overs due to the fine bowling from the spin trio of Izhan Ahmed (4-30), Suhain Sameer (2-30) and Mustafa Siddiqui (2-37).

Chasing a target of 177 in 40 overs, St Paul English School was put in the driving seat by opener Abdullah (47 off 87 balls) but he didn’t receive support from fellow students who were clueless against the spinners.

They collapsed from 91 for two to 130 all out to lose the game after controlling it for a while. Leg-spinner Saad Bin Yousuf (4-27) was the most successful of the Qadri Model School bowlers while off-spinner Syed Yawar Imam who turned the game around with his spell of three for 14 off 6.4 overs was adjudicated as Man of the Match.