PCB announces comprehensive plan to improve domestic cricket

• Naqvi stresses expansion, strengthening of domestic cricket.
• PCB chief laments national side's current int'l rankings.
• He says champions events will provide players with exposure.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday announced its decision to launch Champions domestic tournaments to revolutionise the country's existing cricketing ecosystem and bridge the existing gap with international cricket.

Speaking at a press conference at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said that the board will organise the Champions One-Day Cup, T20 Cup and First-Class Cup which will bring together the most talented and consistent performers from domestic cricket with the board's centrally contracted players.

The development comes as the board has been under scrutiny owing to the men's side's poor performances in mega events including the Asia Cup 2023 as well as the team's early exit from this year's T20I World Cup 2024 where the Green Shirts even failed to progress to the Super Eight stage of the tournament.

The PCB chief, in recent times, has held meetings with former cricketers to discuss various matters, including domestic cricket, to improve the country's cricket infrastructure and ecosystem.

Flanked by PCB's Chief Operating Officer Salman Nasser and newly-appointed Adviser on Cricket Affairs Waqar Younis, Naqvi said that the team's current ranking in all three formats does not reflect the true potential and legacy of Pakistan's cricket.

Highlighting the need to innovate and strategically enhance, expand and strengthen our domestic structure, the PCB chairman said that the Champions tournaments will allow cricketers at the domestic level to experience an environment that mirrors the intensity of international cricket.

He said that the initiative will feature broadcast matches, legendary mentors, elite coaching staff and extensive media coverage.

The tournaments will provide necessary exposure and experience to the players and will revolutionise and rejuvenate the entire cricket ecosystem of the country as it will establish a clear pathway from clubs, schools and universities to intra-district, to inter-district, to regional  and department competitions.

"The Champions tournaments will offer our players a platform to experience the rigours and pressures of international cricket right here at home. This is crucial for building a robust and highly competitive domestic structure that consistently produces world-class talent," the board's chief said as per the press released issued by the PCB.

What does it mean for domestic cricket?

With the addition of Champions tournaments, the PCB will now organise a total of 261 matches across eight men’s senior tournaments.

The events will include five sides namely Dolphins, Lions, Panthers, Stallions and Wolves, and will be played in a double-league format featuring around 150 of the country’s highest-performing domestic players from the past three years as well as centrally contracted players that are available for selection.

Furthermore, each team will have a former Pakistan superstar as a mentor and potentially as an owner. Also, the sides will be allocated a dedicated regional high-performance centre in Faisalabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Sialkot.

The Champions One-Day Cup (September 1 to 29), with five teams who will play 21 matches, will serve as the season opener of the PCB Men’s Domestic Cricket Season 2024-25.

Meanwhile, the Champions T20 Cup will be played from December 21 to January 2, whereas the Champions First-Class Cup is scheduled to take place from May 28 to August 5.

Both these tournaments will also have 21 matches each.

Furthermore, the board has also announced enhanced domestic contracts for 150 players whose details are as follows;

• Category 1 — 40 players to get Rs550,000 per month.
• Category 2 — 50 players to get Rs400,000 per month.
• Category 3 — 60 players to get Rs250,000 per month.

In addition to the monthly retainers, players will receive improved match fees as follows: Rs200,000 for red-ball cricket, Rs125,000 for 50-over matches and Rs100,000 for T20 matches.