National Twenty20 starts from 24th in Faisalabad

LAHORE - Pakistan's most popular Faysal Bank Super Eight Twenty20 Cup 2010-2011 will be held at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad from June 24 to July 1, Pakistan Cricket Board announced here on Friday. The tournament is being staged for first time in Faisalabad with day-night matches. The teams are divided into two groups. In group 'A, teams are Lahore Lions, Sialkot Stallions, Islamabad Leopards and Hyderabad Hawks while Faisalabad Wolves, Rawalpindi Rams, Karachi Dolphins and the Multan Tigers are drawn in group 'B. The first and second semi-final will be held on June 30 followed by the final on July 1, 2011. Faisalabad Wolves will clash with Multan Tigers in the opening match of the competition. Lucrative prize money will be on offer with winners earning Rs 2.5 million while runners-up grabbing Rs one million. Commenting on the event, COO PCB Subhan Ahmad said: "The partnership between PCB and Faysal Bank will go a long way in improving the standard of domestic cricket in the country. The PCB has a resolve to assure that people can watch the stars playing live in absence of international cricket in Pakistan. To spread out on this, Faisalabad was chosen as the venue for this big event," he said. "Our partnership with Faysal Bank seeks to further strengthen the domestic game in line with our vision of providing opportunities at the grassroots level". "Sponsoring domestic cricket is one way in which Faysal Bank wants to contribute back to society. We got an overwhelming response in the last Faysal Bank Twenty20 and are anticipating an even better response from Faisalabad." Head Retail Faysal Bank Aarij Ali reiterated the banks commitment to cricket. Two matches will be played every day starting at 5 pm and 9 pm respectively.

ePaper - Nawaiwaqt