Initiative will offer players a platform to experience rigours and pressures of int\u2019l cricket at home, says PCB chief
\n Islamabad
\nThe Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday announced its decision to launch Champions domestic tournaments to revolutionise the country\u2019s existing cricketing ecosystem and bridge the existing gap with international cricket.
\nSpeaking at a press conference at Lahore\u2019s 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\u2019s centrally contracted players.
\nThe development comes as the board has been under scrutiny owing to the men\u2019s side\u2019s poor performances in mega events including the Asia Cup 2023 as well as the team\u2019s early exit from this year\u2019s T20I World Cup 2024 where the Green Shirts even failed to progress to the Super Eight stage of the tournament.
\nThe PCB chief, in recent times, has held meetings with former cricketers to discuss various matters, including domestic cricket, to improve the country\u2019s cricket infrastructure and ecosystem.
\nFlanked by PCB\u2019s Chief Operating Officer Salman Nasser and newly-appointed Adviser on Cricket Affairs Waqar Younis, Naqvi said that the team\u2019s current ranking in all three formats does not reflect the true potential and legacy of Pakistan\u2019s cricket.
\nHighlighting 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.
\nHe said that the initiative will feature broadcast matches, legendary mentors, elite coaching staff and extensive media coverage.
\nThe 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.
\n\u201cThe 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,\u201d the board\u2019s chief said as per the press released issued by the PCB.
\nWith the addition of Champions tournaments, the PCB will now organise a total of 261 matches across eight men\u2019s senior tournaments.
\nThe 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\u2019s highest-performing domestic players from the past three years as well as centrally contracted players that are available for selection.
\nFurthermore, 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.
\nThe 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\u2019s Domestic Cricket Season 2024-25.
\nMeanwhile, 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.
\nBoth these tournaments will also have 21 matches each.
\nFurthermore, the board has also announced enhanced domestic contracts for 150 players whose details are as follows;
\nCategory 1 \u2014 40 players to get Rs550,000 per month.
\nCategory 2 \u2014 50 players to get Rs400,000 per month.
\nCategory 3 \u2014 60 players to get Rs250,000 per month.
\nIn 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. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Initiative will offer players a platform to experience rigours and pressures of int\u2019l cricket at home, says PCB chief Islamabad The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday announced its decision to launch Champions domestic tournaments to revolutionise the country\u2019s existing cricketing ecosystem and bridge the existing gap with international cricket. Speaking at a press conference […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":423147,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-423117","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n