![Pakistan’s President Trophy Final played under bizarre scheduling [Source: Screengrab/@TheRealPCBMedia/x]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1741253512310_pakistan.jpg?type=tq)
Pakistan’s President Trophy Final played under bizarre scheduling [Source: Screengrab/@TheRealPCBMedia/x]
The final match of the Pakistan-based President’s Trophy Grade-1 between State Bank of Pakistan and Pakistan Television is being played at a different time than the standard first-class cricketing schedules. The match, hosted by the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, is being played under floodlights with the first session starting in the evening.
The dramatic change of timings is being practiced in order to cater to the player’s needs during the holy festival of Ramzan, where followers do not eat between sunrise and sunset.
President Trophy final scheduled to cater player’s fasting
The final match of the President’s Trophy Grade-1 launched on March 4 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium between table-toppers Pakistan Television and second-ranked State Bank of Pakistan. Notably, the first delivery of each day of the five-day affair is scheduled to be bowled at 7:30 PM PKT, i.e., 8 PM IST.
The first session runs from 7:30 PM PKT to 9:30 PM PKT, which is followed by a 20-minute tea break until 9:50 PM PKT. The second session goes on from 9:50 PM PKT to 11:50 PM PKT, which is succeeded by a 40-minute dinner break till 12:30 AM PKT. Subsequently, the final session goes on till 2:30 AM PKT before umpires call for stumps.
The PCB implemented this schedule to allow the players to engage in fasting from sunrise to sunset in a bid to celebrate Ramzan.
On the cricketing front, State Bank of Pakistan batted first and scored 205 in 54.2 overs. Opener Imran Butt himself listed 89 of those runs before a five-wicket haul from Muhammad Shahzad tilted the tide in Pakistan Television’s favor.
 "Aakash Saini")
