Pakistan’s President’s Trophy final is making history with a first: the match is being played under lights using a pink ball, a decision influenced by the ongoing Ramadan fast.
The unusual session timings have resulted in entire sessions being played after midnight, with play continuing until 2:30 AM local time.
The final, featuring Pakistan Television (PTV) and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), is taking place at Rawalpindi Stadium, with both teams finishing the group stage level on points.
Read More: Saud Shakeel Timed Out as President’s Trophy Final Sees Rare Dismissal
The game follows a unique schedule, beginning at 7:30 PM PKT after Iftar, with the first session featuring a tea break at 9:30 PM, followed by another session until 11:50 PM, and a final session starting at 12:20 AM.
This timing led to a rare and remarkable moment in cricket: SBP lost four wickets in just three balls.
Fast bowler Muhammad Shahzad claimed two wickets in consecutive deliveries, and a third came when Saud Shakeel was timed out, marking just the seventh occurrence of this in first-class cricket.
Shahzad completed his hat-trick with the following ball, reducing SBP from 128-1 to 128-5. They eventually posted a total of 205. In response, PTV’s Shahzad and Waqar Hussain scored centuries, helping their team to a first-innings total of 317.