Tag: Domestic Cricket

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Director of Domestic Cricket Operations, Abdullah Khurram Niazi, on Monday, explained the key decisions regarding the restructuring of domestic cricket in Pakistan.

While addressing the media in the Provincial capital, Abdullah Niazi revealed that a 15-member committee was formed to reform domestic cricket.

“A committee was formed in which 15 members decided, with consultation, to reform the previous domestic structure,” he said.

“Regional representatives were part of the reform committee, and it was unanimously decided that top-performing teams from last season will play in the main round,” he added.

Abdullah Khurram Niazi also shed light on the new format, noting the importance of top-performing regions.

“Some regions need to improve their standards, so we’ve devised a format where top-performing regions will directly feature in the main round. Underperforming ones will go through qualifying rounds, and the top two teams from the qualifiers will advance,” the PCB cricket operations director explained.

The Director said that under-19 level competitions, including three-day matches, will be organized regularly, while clarifying that no new tournaments have been introduced.

“Our upcoming structure revolves around regional cricket. These are not new tournaments — they’ve been played in the past.”

Khurram Niazi also stressed inclusivity while announcing the criteria for central contracts in domestic cricket.

“Central contracts in domestic cricket will be awarded based on performance in the previous season. We cannot ignore any region. The best players from all regions will be promoted. This isn’t about any single province’s pride — it’s about Pakistan.”

Speaking on merit-based selection, he noted, “In our culture, favoritism is often alleged. To counter that perception, we’ve improved the selection process significantly.”

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While speaking on the Champions Cup, he stated that Waqar Younis, Shoaib Malik, and Saqlain Mushtaq had to step back due to personal commitments.

“Some mentors did not want to continue their roles, though a few are still contributing. It is the result of mentors’ hard work that talent like Khawaja Nafay and Hasan Nawaz is nurtured.

He added that work is underway on strengthening cricket academies. “This was something our cricket ecosystem truly needed.”

The PCB Director of Domestic Cricket also discussed the financial and technical challenges of streaming domestic matches, while urging local sponsors to invest.

“Live streaming of domestic matches is under consideration, but the cost is significant — nearly three to four million rupees per day. It’s not easy.

Every country builds on its strengths, and we are striving to do the same. No director can influence player selection, and the PCB has made its selection criteria more transparent and performance-oriented,” he concluded.

For context, a day earlier, PCB announced a significantly revised domestic calendar for the 2025-26 season.

Among the notable changes was the participation of eight regional sides, compared to 18 from the previous year, in the forthcoming Pakistan’s premier domestic tournament, the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy.

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) Domestic Cricket Revamping Committee met this week to deliberate over a series of proposed changes to the domestic structure ahead of the new season, sources confirmed.

The session was marked by comprehensive discussions about possible modifications to the formats of Pakistan’s premier tournaments, specifically the prestigious Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and the esteemed Hanif Mohammad Trophy.

Stakeholders delved into various ideas and proposals aimed at enhancing the structure and appeal of these competitions.

Participants exchanged insights on how these changes could elevate the standard of domestic cricket in the country.

A formal announcement detailing the revamped domestic structure is anticipated in the near future.

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As per sources, one of the major outcomes of the meeting was the finalization of qualification criteria for two additional teams in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

The committee has proposed that the 12 remaining regional sides compete in the Hanif Mohammad Trophy, with the top two teams qualifying for the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy alongside the six automatic entrants.

Before delving into the structural discussions, the committee undertook an in-depth examination of the performance of the domestic coaching staff.

Insider sources suggest that several domestic coaches, who have not met performance expectations during their tenures, could face non-renewal of their contracts for the upcoming season.

As a result, the board is preparing to open new coaching positions soon, awaiting the final approval from PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed on Saturday that the ongoing men’s domestic events have been postponed effective immediately due to rising tensions with India.

The country’s cricket board announced the decision through a media release, stating that the tournaments will resume later and their schedule will be shared in due course.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board confirms that the ongoing President’s Trophy Grade-II, Regional Intra-District Challenge Cup, Inter-District U19 One-Day tournament have been postponed with immediate effect due to prevailing security condition in the country,” the PCB stated.

“The tournaments will resume from the same stage later, and a revised schedule will be shared closer to the resumption.”

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It’s worth noting that, on Friday, the PCB also postponed the remaining eight matches of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 due to cross-border tensions.

In a statement, the cricket board said that the decision was made over the worsening situation on the Line of Control (LOC).

“The last 24 hours have seen a worsening of the situation on the LOC, increased incursion of 78 drones, and the firing of surface-to-surface missiles from India,” PCB said in a statement.

The decision to postpone PSL 10 has been made based on advice from Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif.

“The reckless aggression from India that has escalated to a point where national attention and sentiments are rightly focused on the courageous efforts of the Armed Forces of Pakistan, who are vociferously upholding the sovereignty of our beloved Pakistan.”

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to make it a must for players to participate in domestic cricket for their selection in the national team.

The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore on Monday, PCB said in a press release.

The meeting occurred following Pakistan’s horror run at the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. The Men in Green were eliminated from the marquee event in the group stage following two losses to the United States of America (USA) and India.

During the meeting, participants focused on strengthening domestic cricket in the country as Mohsin Naqvi gave principled approval to the plan aimed at promoting quality domestic cricket.

The PCB chairman announced a plan to organise domestic tournaments from the club level to the national level.

While directing PCB officials to groom domestic players, he emphasised the need for experienced coaches to train the new talent to enhance their skills.

“Performance, fitness, and merit will be the key criteria for advancing players,” Naqvi said.

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The Pakistan Cricket Board will hold tournaments for all three formats of the game to promote quality domestic cricket in the 2024-25 season.

In a move to improve the standard of coaching, the PCB will appoint a master coach to train domestic cricket coaches.

According to the PCB, the participants of the meeting agreed that the selection criteria for the national team will be based on performance and fitness showcased in the domestic events.

The meeting participants also reviewed the domestic cricket structures of various high-performing cricket nations.

Earlier this month, Naqvi had said the defeat against India was disappointing in every way and that the team needed a major surgery.

“It seemed that a minor surgery would suffice for the Pakistan cricket team, but after the extremely poor performance, it has become clear that the team needs major surgery,” the PCB chairman said during a press conference after Pakistan’s defeat to India on June 9.

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LAHORE: In a meeting with domestic officials, Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) – Ramiz Raja had a detailed discussion to execute an attacking mindset among the players.

Following the less-result-oriented matches in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22, the PCB chairman discussed bringing foreign coaches in domestic cricket.

According to sources, a proposal has been presented to appoint foreign coaches in the domestic circuit. Raja conducted a detailed conversation with board officials on this proposal.

It should be noted here that only four of the 18 matches in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy were result-oriented.

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Lahore: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has told local players about introducing foreign coaches in domestic cricket.

Ramiz met domestic cricketers where he briefed them about his vision. The coaches and managers of the teams and other support staff members were not part of the meeting.

“My doors are always open to all young cricketers. I have come here not as chairman PCB but as a cricketer. Ramiz’s message to cricketers.

Ramiz assured players of taking all possible steps to improve domestic cricket. “Your paycheck will increase further in the coming days. We will take all possible steps to improve the performance of the players and the quality of the game.”

“We will also bring in foreign coaches to improve the quality of first-class cricket,” he added.

The former captain also answered the players’ questions. “Convince yourself with hard work, no shortcuts. Fitness is very important in modern cricket,” he maintained.

Read: You will not have any role in national team’s selection: Ramiz told provincial coaches