Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021 Match 4, Balochistan vs Southern Punjab: Probable XIs, match prediction, live streaming, weather forecast and pitch report
The fourth match of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021 will see Balochistan square off against Southern Punjab at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan on Wednesday. Both sides drew their respective opening games, so they will seek a result in this game.
Balochistan faced Sindh in their opening game, which was a high-scoring encounter. Balochistan opted to bat first, and piled runs for fun. Imran Butt scored a century, while captain Imam-ul-Haq missed out on a well-deserved century by three runs. They put on 402 runs on the board. Their bowlers struggled to pick up wickets, as Sindh managed 324 in response.
Balochistan scored 127 in their second innings, losing three wickets in 59 overs,, before the game ended in a draw. Imam will now hope for a much-improved performance from his bowlers in Balochistan's next clash against Southern Punjab.
Meanwhile, Southern Punjab faced Central Punjab in their first game, where they eked out a hard-fought draw. The decision to bowl first didn't quite work out for Southern Punjab, as Central Punjab rode a hundred from Abid Ali to score 384 in their first innings. Southern Punjab could only manage 252-9 in response.
Central Punjab batters scored at a brisk rate in their second innings to set Southern Punjab a target of 345 runs. The latter's batters then played out 66 overs in the second innings to draw the game. They scored 218-4 to deny Central Punjab a victory.
Balochistan vs Southern Punjab Match Details
Match: Balochistan vs Southern Punjab, Match 4, Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021.
Date and Time: October 27th, 2021, Wednesday; 10:30 AM IST.
Venue: Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan.
Balochistan vs Southern Punjab Pitch Report
The pitch at the Multan Cricket Stadium is good for batting. The ball comes nicely onto the bat, but spinners come into the reckoning as the game progresses. Batters enjoyed batting on this surface last week, so another high-scoring game could ensue.
Balochistan vs Southern Punjab Weather Forecast
Clear skies should greet both sides on Wednesday. The temperature is expected to range between 17 to 31 degrees Celsius.
Balochistan vs Southern Punjab Probable XIs
Balochistan
Imran Butt and Imam-ul-Haq gave Balochistan a fabulous start with a 194-run opening stand. The middle-order batters will hope to contribute heavily in their next game as well. Raza-ul-Hasan was fabulous with the ball, picking up a fifer, but the other pacers need to pick up wickets.
Probable XI
Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Butt (c), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Haris Sohail, Kashif Bhatti, Ayaz Tasawwar, Bismillah Khan (wk), Amad Butt, Raza-ul-Hasan, Junaid Khan, Gohar Faiz.
Southern Punjab
Tayyab Tahir was the lone batter who scored a fifty in Southern Punjab's first innings in the opening game. Zain Abbas and Umar Siddiq were good in the second innings, but the other batters need to come to the fore. The bowlers struggled throughout the game to pick up wickets. So they need to step up against Balochistan.
Probable XI
Zain Abbas, Tayyab Tahir, Umar Siddiq (wk), Imran Rafiq, Naved Yasin, Zia-ul-Haq, Azam Khan, Aamer Yamin, Ali Usman, Mohammad Ilyas, Mohammad Abbas (c).
Balochistan vs Southern Punjab Match Prediction
Both Balochistan and Southern Punjab's opening games ended in draws. Bowlers from both sides failed to pick up wickets, so it will all come down to the bowlers in this fixture.
Balochistan look like a more balanced unit, so expect them to get their first win of the tournament by coming out on top against Southern Punjab.
Balochistan vs Southern Punjab live telecast details and channel list
TV: N/A.
Live-Streaming: Pakistan Cricket's YouTube channel.