LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday announced an initiative to overhaul the country’s domestic cricket structure with the introduction of three new Champions tournaments. The plan aims to enhance the level of domestic competition and bridge the gap between local cricket and international standards.
At a press conference held at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, flanked by PCB Chief Operating Officer Salman Nasser and newly-appointed Adviser on Cricket Affairs Waqar Younis, outlined the board’s vision for a new era in Pakistani cricket. The PCB will introduce the Champions One-Day Cup, Champions T20 Cup, and Champions First-Class Cup as part of its strategy to revolutionize domestic cricket.
“The Champions tournaments will offer our players a platform to experience the rigours and pressures of international cricket right here at home,” Naqvi said. “This is crucial for building a robust and highly competitive domestic structure that consistently produces world-class talent.”
The new structure will see a total of 261 matches played across eight men’s senior tournaments. Five teams—Dolphins, Lions, Panthers, Stallions, and Wolves—will compete in these events. Each team will consist of around 150 of the country’s top-performing domestic players from the past three years, as well as centrally contracted players available for selection.
Furthermore, each team will be mentored by a former Pakistan cricket star, potentially serving as team owner. The sides will be allocated dedicated regional high-performance centers in Faisalabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Sialkot to further support player development.
The Champions One-Day Cup, which will serve as the season opener, is scheduled from September 1 to September 29, featuring 21 matches among the five teams. Following this, the Champions T20 Cup will be held from December 21 to January 2, and the Champions First-Class Cup will run from May 28 to August 5. Both the T20 and First-Class Cups will also consist of 21 matches each.
Meanwhile, the PCB has announced improved domestic contracts for 150 players. The new contract categories are as follows:
Category 1: 40 players will receive Rs550,000 per month.
Category 2: 50 players will receive Rs400,000 per month.
Category 3: 60 players will receive Rs250,000 per month.
Furthermore, players will benefit from increased match fees: Rs200,000 for red-ball cricket, Rs125,000 for 50-over matches, and Rs100,000 for T20 matches.
The introduction of the Champions tournaments comes in the wake of scrutiny faced by the PCB due to the men’s team’s underperformance in major events like the Asia Cup 2023 and the T20I World Cup 2024, where Pakistan failed to advance to the Super Eight stage.
