FIrst-Class Matches Pakistan 1980/81 to 1983/84

140 Pakistan in 1982/83 PACO Cup: The Cup was contested by the five leading sides from the QeA and was in doubt until the final round of matches, when United Bank, so far undefeated in first-class cricket this season, went down by 108 runs to Habib Bank , who thus claimed the title with a fine record of three wins in their four matches (the other a rain-ruined draw against PIA). The PACO Cup was seriously affected by the civil disturbances that characterized the season, and the original match between National Bank and PIA was abandoned on day 3 following rioting. It is not counted in the PACO table and is treated as a first-class friendly. The game was replayed as a full PACO Cup match at the end of the season. The first innings in PACO matches was again limited to 85 overs each. Beyond any doubt the leading batsman of the season was Zaheer Abbas, who not only recorded the highest aggregate of 1371 but did it at the superb average of 97.92 – an even better average than in 1980/81 and this time with only one not-out to assist him. During the season he also scored a century in each innings of a first-class match for the eighth time in his career, a unique achievement. Another PIA batsman, Rizwan-uz-Zaman, was not far behind Zaheer in terms of runs (1358) but achieved a more normal average (54.32). No fewer than nine other players topped a thousand runs during the season, with a special mention for Qasim Omar of MCB who became (with 1078) the first player to score a thousand runs in a single QeA season. Abdul Qadir dominated the season’s bowling with the extraordinary total of 103 wickets at 22.98, surpassing the previous record of 99 set in 1973/74 by Wasim Raja. Qadir’s total placed him far ahead of the trailing pack led by Mohammad Nazir and Rashid Khan, both with 70. A further five bowlers exceeded fifty.