Twenty prominent teams, including International Cricket Council champions Bangladesh and Malaysia, are taking part in the event that carries a winner's purse of Rs 100,000. The losing finalists will pocket Rs 50,000.
Besides the two international teams, 10 associations and eight departmental sides are competing for the top honours.
Allied Bank Limited (ABL) will be defending the title they won under the Qadhafi Stadium lights by defeating National Bank.
The 20 participants have been equally divided into four pools. They are:
Pool A: Bahawalpur, Karachi Blues, Bangladesh, Habib Bank and Pakistan Customs.
Pool B: Lahore, Gujranwala, PIA, ADBP and Malaysia.
Pool C: Karachi Whites, Faisalabad, Multan, WAPDA and NBP.
Pool D: Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Allied Bank, Islamabad and KRL.
The top two teams from each pool qualify for the second round matches that will be held at four major centres - UBL Complex in Karachi; National Stadium, Karachi; Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad; and Sheikhupura Stadium, Sheikhupura.
The best team from each centre will qualify for the two semifinals that will be played on April 2 and 3 under the Qadhafi Stadium lights. The final will be held on April 5.
With Pakistan's best players engaged in Africa, the tournament might be less attractive or charismatic but its importance can't be denied. Quite a few budding players knocking at the doors of international cricket will be vying to attract the selectors with their performances and earn selection in national outfit. Being a depleted side Allied Bank may be lucky to have been placed in a relatively easy pool as Amir Sohail, Rashid Latif and Mohammad Akram are currently in Zimbabwe.
Pool A is the most difficult one in which three champions have been placed. Bangladesh are the ICC Trophy winners and will play the 1999 World Cup in England, Habib Bank are the Patron's Trophy champions and Karachi Blues are the title-holders of Quaid-i-Azam Trophy.
With two teams to qualify for the second round, one of the champions is certainly to miss out. Bangladesh have a poor record here as they failed to win a match on their previous trip last year. However, that side was not the official one and played under the banner of Bangladesh Cricket Board XI.
The cricket administrators would have done no good by placing the three champions in one pool. The elimination of the three winners will certainly leave their morale and confidence at the lowest ebb and this would be the last thing Bangladesh would want.
The previous 16 tournaments have been won between Habib Bank, Pakistan International Airlines, Allied Bank, United Bank and National Bank. Habib Bank and the national carriers have won six times each, National Bank won the event in 1992 and 1994 while Allied Bank and United Bank have clinched the coveted title once.
On present form and available resources, Habib Bank would be the favourites to win the tournament for the seventh time as it is the least affected team with Ijaz Ahmed being in the Pakistan team. Pitch-hitter Shahid Afridi has further bolstered the bankers who already have Salim Malik in their lineup with promising batsmen like Mujahid Jamsheed, Shakeel Ahmad also in the ranks who have represented Pakistan in the recent past.
Besides, Habib Bank won the Patron's Trophy last month when they defeated Allied Bank.
But the talent of PIA, ADBP and surprises expected from Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Karachi Blues can't be ignored. Rawalpindi have twice played the one-day tournament's final while Faisalabad ousted Habib Bank in the first round last year.
All said and done. Three weeks of thrilling one-day cricket is on the cards in which 55 matches will be played.
Sunday's fixtures:
Bahawalpur vs Karachi Blues at PAF Stadium, Karachi;
Bangladesh vs Habib Bank at National Stadium;
Karachi; Lahore vs Gujranwala at Gujranwala;
PIA vs ADBP at Sialkot;
Karachi Whites vs Faisalabad at Buranwali ground, Faisalabad;
Multan vs WAPDA at Sheikhupura;
Peshawar vs Rawalpindi at Arbab Niaz, Peshawar;
Allied Bank vs Islamabad at Pindi Stadium; Rawalpindi.