THE Quaid-e-Azam Premier League have opted to change from a pyramid system to a linear arrangement for the 2023 season.

The league, which was only formed in March 2020, have had a Premier Section for their first two seasons, with the Crescent and Star sections operating in parallel underneath that.

However, at the league’s annual meeting at Shipley College, clubs have decided that they want the three divisions to run underneath each other, with promotion from the second tier to the Premier section and promotion from the third tier to the second tier.

The potential rule change was proposed by three clubs – Indus Ghari, Rising Star and Scouthill.

Arguments for keeping the parallel divisions was that it gave clubs the chance of reaching the Premier Section in one go, while arguments against was that it would give clubs less chance of winning silverware and might actually lead to clubs dropping out.

It was decided to go for the linear system, but bring it in for the 2023 season so that clubs would know what they are playing by their performances next season.

The top five clubs in both the Crescent and Star sections in 2022 would form Section A for 2023, with the bottom five clubs in each section comprising Section B.

Proposals that failed were for the top two clubs overall be promoted from the parallel divisions, and that the winner of the end-of-season play-off be promoted, with the loser of that match then facing the winner of the runners-up for the second promotion berth.

Fielding restrictions will also apply to both the Crescent and Star sections next season, rather than just the Premier Section, while it was agreed that the top 16 clubs (from this season’s tables) will play in the Cup next season, with the bottom 14 featuring in the new Shield competition.

However, Rising Star’s proposal to have a T20 competition failed.

Heaton Park’s proposal that all no balls should result in free hits was passed, as was Bhalot Strikers’ proposal that the team that benefited from a forfeited match when all of the other matches were rained off receive only one point.

Meanwhile, it is possible that both Eids may fall on a Sunday next season, so if that happens clubs can re-arrange matches as long as the new dates are on the same week as the respective Eid celebrations .