Pakistan Cricket Board Expands Domestic Cricket with New Competitions
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a significant revamp of its domestic cricket structure for the upcoming season, introducing three new competitions that will run nearly year-round, from September 2024 to August 2025. The changes aim to “bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket,” according to a PCB release.
The new competitions include a five-team Champions tournament, which ESPNcricinfo reported on in June. The teams—Dolphins, Lions, Panthers, Stallions, and Wolves—will compete in the Champions One-Day Cup from September 1 to 29, the Champions T20 Cup from December 21 to January 2, and the Champions Pentagular (first-class cricket) from May 28 to August 5.
With these additions, Pakistan’s domestic cricket will now feature three first-class tournaments (including the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and President’s Trophy), two List-A tournaments (including the President’s Cup), and three T20 competitions (including the National T20 Cup and the PSL). This expansion increases the number of senior men’s matches from 203 to 261.
“Our current standings—sixth in Tests, fourth in ODIs, and seventh in T20Is—do not reflect the true potential and legacy of Pakistan cricket,” said PCB chair Mohsin Naqvi. “To restore our rightful place at the top of world cricket, we must innovate and strategically enhance, expand, and strengthen our domestic structure. The introduction of the three Champions tournaments is a bold step in this direction.”
The Champions tournaments aim to bring together top domestic performers and centrally-contracted players, creating a high-intensity environment similar to international cricket. Around 150 of the country’s best players will participate, although the selection process details are yet to be revealed. Waqar Younis, the new advisor to the chair on cricket affairs, supports the plans. Younis will oversee cricketing matters within the board, similar to Rob Key’s role at the ECB.
Each of the five teams will have an owner and a mentor, in addition to regular coaching staff, including a head coach, an analyst, and a media manager. Each team will also have a dedicated high-performance center in Faisalabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Sialkot.
The PCB has also increased the contracts for domestic players: PKR 550,000 for Category 1, PKR 400,000 for Category 2, and PKR 250,000 for Category 3. Previously, the 2023-24 contracts ranged from PKR 300,000 for Category A+ to PKR 50,000 for Category F.
Match fees have also been increased: from PKR 40,000 to PKR 125,000 for 50-over cricket, to PKR 100,000 for T20 cricket, and from PKR 80,000 to PKR 200,000 for red-ball cricket.
