{
  "id": 17786427,
  "title": "Babar, Shaheen set for Quaid-e-Azam Trophy opening-round clash",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/babar-shaheen-set-for-quaid-e-azam-trophy-opening-round-clash",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-02T10:41:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn",
    "slug": "dawn",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2041616/babar-shaheen-set-for-quaid-e-azam-trophy-opening-round-clash"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi are set to lead the opening round of the 69th Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, a first-class cricket competition spanning Islamabad, Abbottabad and Rawalpindi. The tournament, which kicks off on Tuesday, features 20 regional teams split into the Gold and Silver tiers. Babar will represent Lahore Whites against Shaheen's Fata side at the Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad. Other notable players include Saud Shakeel as captain of defending champions Karachi Blues, Mohammad Rizwan leading Peshawar Blues and Imam-ul-Haq steering Multan. The competition will run from November 3 to December 12, culminating in a five-day final on December 15-19. The winners of both Gold and Silver tiers will gain promotion to the next season's Gold tier.",
  "summary": "Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam and One-day International skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi will headline the opening round of the 69th edition of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, which gets under way across Islamabad, Abbottabad and Rawalpindi on Tuesday. Babar will turn out for Lahore Whites, who face Shaheen-led Fata at the Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad, in what promises to be one of the early…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}