In the fifth round of the Pakistan Cup 2023–24, Peshawar, Karachi Whites, Multan, and FATA secured victories in their matches across Rawalpindi, AJK, and Abbottabad. Unfortunately, bad weather affected three games, leading to the use of the DLS method for result determination.
The sole unaffected match saw FATA triumph over Lahore Whites by six wickets in a low-scoring contest.
In the clash between Rawalpindi and Karachi Whites at Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, Karachi Whites batted first, posting an imposing total of 364-7 in 45 overs.
Star player Saim Ayub stood out with a remarkable 179 runs from 125 balls, including 15 fours and 11 sixes, marking his highest individual score in the Pakistan Cup. Rawalpindi, in response, managed only 169-5 in 27 overs before rain interrupted play.
Karachi Whites claimed a 72-run victory via the DLS method.
At Pindi Cricket Stadium, Peshawar faced Faisalabad, scoring 264 all out in 45 overs after being sent to bat first. Captain Sahibzada Farhan (66) and Kamran Ghulam (63) were the top scorers.
Peshawar’s bowler Arshad Iqbal took five wickets. Faisalabad, in reply, could only reach 142-7 in 27.3 overs before poor light halted play. Peshawar secured a 68-run victory through DLS.
In the encounter between Multan and Lahore Blues at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Lahore Blues set a target of 258 in 40 overs. Hussain Talat (70) and Rizwan Hussain (62) were the leading run-scorers.
Multan, batting for 21.2 overs, scored 163–4. They won by 37 runs, with Sohaib Maqsood contributing 33 off 35 deliveries. Multan’s bowler Tahir Hussain took three wickets.
FATA chose to bowl first against Lahore Whites at Mirpur Cricket Stadium, restricting them to 128 in 38.1 overs. FATA then scored 130–4 in 22.1 overs to secure a comfortable victory.
Notable contributors for FATA included Samiullah Jr. (33), Mohammad Sarwar Afridi (34 not out), and Mohammad Farooq (40). FATA’s bowlers Shahid Aziz, Asif Afridi, and Khushdil Shah claimed wickets in the win.
