Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021 Match 2, Central Punjab vs Southern Punjab Probable XIs, match prediction, live streaming, weather forecast and pitch report

Central Punjab (CEP) will take on Southern Punjab (SOP) on Wednesday in the second match of the opening day of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan, Pakistan.

Central Punjab, along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, are the joint winners of the last edition of the Quaid-e-Azam trophy after the final ended in a sensational tie. They will look to cross the finish line and win the title this time.

They were also the second-most successful team in the league stage of the previous edition, ranking behind Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; they won four and lost three of their ten matches.

Pakistan veteran cricketer Azhar Ali, who has played 89 Tests for his country, is set to lead Central Punjab in the 2021-22 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. A lot rides on him to lead from the front and guide his team to glory in the competition.

However, he will be without the services of Usman Salahuddin, who scored the most runs (924) for the team in the last edition of the trophy. They will also be without Hasan Ali, who took 43 wickets in the competition last season.

Meanwhile, Southern Punjab finished third in the last edition of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, winning four and losing four of their ten matches in the league stage. Mohammad Abbas is leading Southern Punjab in this edition of the tournament, and will look to lead from the front. He has 532 First-Class wickets to his name, and has also played 25 Tests for Pakistan, taking 90 wickets.

However, Punjab will be without their last season’s highest scorer Agha Salman, who scored 941 runs. They'll also be without their last edition’s highest wicket-taker, Zaid Mahmood, who took 52 wickets.

---

Central Punjab vs Southern Punjab Match Details

Fixture: Central Punjab vs Southern Punjab, Match 2, Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

Date & Time: October 20, 10.30 AM IST.

Venue: Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan.

---

Central Punjab vs Southern Punjab Pitch Report

The Multan Cricket Stadium is a batting-friendly pitch, where batting should be easy on the first few days. The spinners will likely enjoy bowling on this track over the next couple of days.

---

Central Punjab vs Southern Punjab Weather Forecast

It will be sunny throughout the four days, with the temperature hovering between 30 and 35 degrees Celsius.

---

Central Punjab vs Southern Punjab Probable Playing XIs

Central Punjab

Azhar Ali is the leader of the pack, and the team's batting revolves around him.

Probable XI: Azhar Ali (captain), Abid Ali, Ahmed Bashir, Ahmed Shehzad, Ehsan Adil, Faheem Ashraf, Hussain Talat, Junaid Ali, Mohammad Saad, Mohammad Akhlaq (keeper), Saad Nasim.

Southern Punjab

Southern Punjab are a young team, with experienced pacer Mohammad Abbas leading their bowling attack. They will look to cause an upset against Central Punjab.

Probable XI: Mohammad Abbas (captain), Zia-ul-Haq. Umar Siddique, Aamir Yamin, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, Mohammad Junaid, Naved Yasin, Tayyab Tahir, Waqar Hussain, Yousuf Babar, Zain Abbas.

---

Central Punjab vs Southern Punjab Match Prediction

Central Punjab are a strong team, having jointly won the last edition’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. They are led by the experienced Azhar Ali. Southern Punjab, on the other hand, have a young squad, and could push the opposition to the edge. It is going to be an exciting contest, but the latter team are favorites to win.

---

Central Punjab vs Southern Punjab Live-streaming

TV: NA.

Live Streaming: Cricket Pakistan's Youtube Channel.