Karachi cricket teams compete in the Pakistani first-class cricket tournaments the Patron's Trophy and Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
Owing to the strength of cricket in Karachi, from the 1956-57 season the Karachi City Cricket Association has usually fielded two, sometimes three, first-class teams. (Lahore has done the same from the 1957-58 season.) The names of the teams have varied. In the 1956–57 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy the teams were Karachi Whites (who lost the final), Karachi Blues (defeated by Karachi Whites in a semi-final) and Karachi Greens. In 2014-15 the two latest teams made their debuts: Karachi Dolphins (in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Gold League) and Karachi Zebras (in the Silver League).
The names of the teams appear to have been largely random, and there was no obvious system for the allocation of Karachi players among them. For example, in a first-class career extending from 1970 to 1987, the wicketkeeper-batsman Kamal Najamuddin played successively for Karachi Blues, Karachi Whites, Karachi Greens, Karachi Blues again, Karachi Whites again, Karachi Blues again, Karachi B, Karachi, Karachi A, Karachi again, Karachi Greens again, Karachi Whites again, and lastly Karachi again.
In order of appearance, the teams have been:
Karachi
1953-54 to 2003-04, 123 matches in 26 seasons; 43 wins, 39 losses, 41 draws.
The highest score was 499 by Hanif Mohammad in 1958-59, which remained the world first-class record score until 1994, and the best bowling figures were 8 for 83 by Tanvir Ali in 1984-85. Karachi's record includes six matches against international touring teams.
Karachi Greens
1956-57 to 1983-84, 16 matches in seven seasons; seven wins, four losses, five draws.
The highest score was 111 not out by Kamal Najamuddin in 1983-84, and the best bowling figures were 8 for 75 by Aslam Qureshi in 1971-72.
Karachi Whites
1956-57 to 2013-14, 271 matches in 40 seasons; 119 wins, 58 losses, 94 draws.
The highest score was 324 by Waheed Mirza in 1976-77, and the best bowling figures were 10 for 58 by Shahid Mahmood in 1969-70.