PCB introduces three new domestic tournaments

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the introduction of three new tournaments for the 2024-25 season.

The ‘Champions’ tournaments, comprising the Champions One-Day Cup, Champions T20 Cup, and Champions First-Class Cup, will feature five teams each and span nearly a year, from September 2024 to August 2025.

PCB Chairman Mohsin Raza Naqvi, alongside adviser Waqar Younis, revealed these developments during a press conference. The Champions tournaments will be held in a double-league format, with five teams—Dolphins, Lions, Panthers, Stallions, and Wolves—competing across different formats.

The schedule is as follows:

Champions One-Day Cup: September 1-29, 2024

Champions T20 Cup: December 21, 2024 - January 2, 2025

Champions First-Class Cup: May 28 - August 5, 2025

Each team will consist of around 30 players, including centrally contracted and top-performing domestic players. The PCB aims to involve 150 players, divided into three categories with monthly retainers of PKR 550,000, PKR 400,000, and PKR 250,000, respectively. This marks a significant increase from the previous season’s contracts, which ranged from PKR 50,000 to PKR 300,000, said PCB officials.

Each team will have a mentor, potentially a former Pakistan cricket legend, alongside a dedicated coaching staff, including head coaches, batting, bowling, and fielding coaches, and support personnel. The mentors will play a pivotal role in nurturing young talent and bridging the gap between domestic and international cricket.

The PCB also plans to establish dedicated Regional High Performance Centres in Faisalabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Sialkot. These centres will serve as training and practice facilities for the teams.

The PCB is making substantial financial investments to improve the domestic structure. This includes enhanced match fees for players: PKR 200,000 for red-ball cricket, PKR 125,000 for 50-over matches, and PKR 100,000 for T20 matches. These fees are a significant improvement from the previous season’s payments.

Each team will also have a corporate sponsor and media partner, alongside additional revenue streams from broadcast and live-streaming rights, event title sponsorships, ground branding rights, and ticket sales.

Naqvi emphasised the necessity of these tournaments, stating, “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.”

Naqvi expressed optimism that the Champions tournaments would provide players with an environment that mirrors international cricket’s intensity, thus better preparing them for global competitions.

He added that the PCB’s efforts would focus on nurturing the next generation of cricketing stars, providing them with ample opportunities to showcase their skills and climb the ranks within Pakistan’s cricketing ecosystem.