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KARACHI: Sixteen top teams of the country will be featuring in the Shaheed-e-Jamhooriat Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Memorial Twenty20 Cricket Tournament being held at various parts of Pakistan from December 1.

“We are holding this event to pay tributes to former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto, who sacrificed her life for democracy in Pakistan,” Chief Organizer Razaullah Khan said Wednesday, while releasing details of the tournament.

Matches of the tournament will be played at Karachi, Hyderabad, Lahore and Islamabad.The event will be held in white kit and red balls will be used in the tournament.

PIA will take on KCCA Blues in the opening match played at Karachi Gymkhana on December 1. Federal Sports Minister Aftab Shah Jilani will inaugurate the event.

Razaullah said entry fee of Rs.100,000 is being charged from each participating departmental team while associations are paying Rs.10,000.

Commenting on the allegation of holding this event despite being the employee of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), he said he planned the event before his joining the PCB and can not back out of the event.

PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt will inaugurate the event at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore on December 2 and Federal Law Minister Farooq H.Naik will inaugurate the event Diamond Ground the same day.

After the round robin league matches, one top team from each pool will advance in the semifinals at Karachi and Islamabad on December 5- 6 while final will be held at Diamond Ground Islamabad on December 7. Grouping of the event is as under:

Group “A” PIA, Port Qasim, KCCA Blues, Quetta Region. Group “B” NBP, KCCA Whites, Hyderabad region, Pakistan Steel. Group “C”; HBL, LCCA, Multan Region, Services Industries. Group “D”: NWFP, Islamabad region, Pindi Region and CDA.