PCB announces three new tournaments to bolster Pakistan's domestic cricket

In an attempt to prepare domestic players for international cricket and also bolster the domestic circuit, the Pakistan Cricket Board has announced three new tournaments for the upcoming season.

All three 'Champions' competitions will be a five-team affair. The three tournaments will be played across formats as the PCB wants to "bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket". The new competitions will be taking place for almost a year, starting in September 2024 and ending in August next year.

The five teams that will be competing in the competitions are the Dolphins, Lions, Panthers, Stallions, and Wolves. They will first compete in the Champions One-Day Cup from September 1 to 29. It will be followed by a Champions T20 Cup from December 21 to January 2 before the Champions Pentagular (first-class cricket) competition takes place from May 28 to August 5.

The introduction of the three new competitions will increase the number of domestic competitions in Pakistan. The PCB will not conduct three first-class tournaments with the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and President's Trophy being the others, two List-A tournaments with the President's Cup being the other, and three T20 competitions with the National T20 Cup and the PSL being the others.

Around 150 of Pakistan's top players will be participating in the Champions Tournament. The PCB is yet to announce the details of the selection process. Each of the five teams will have a mentor apart from the regular coaching staff. Not only that, each of the new teams will also have a dedicated high-performance center in Faisalabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Sialkot.

Introduction of the three Champions tournaments is a bold step: Mohsin Naqvi

While unveiling the Champions tournament, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi began by expressing his disappointment over the Pakistan team's position in international cricket at present.

The PCB chairman said that Pakistan needs to 'innovate and strategically enhance, expand and strengthen' its domestic structure in order to regain its rightful place in international cricket and the Champions tournament is a bold step in that direction.

"Our current standings - sixth in Tests, fourth in ODIs and seventh in T20Is - do not reflect the true potential and legacy of Pakistan cricket. 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," said Naqvi.

"The Champions tournaments will bring together our most talented and consistent performers from domestic cricket with our centrally-contracted players, creating an environment that mirrors the intensity of international cricket," he added.