PCB to introduce Champions events in 2024-25 domestic season

Mohsin Naqvi: The Champions events aim to transform and revitalize our entire cricketing ecosystem, not merely to close the gap between domestic and international cricket.

PCB Chair: Finding, developing, and readying our finest talent to represent Pakistan internationally is our mission.

"Our players will be able to experience the demands and hardships of playing international cricket at home thanks to the Champions tournaments," says Mohsin Naqvi.

The season will span from September 2024 to August 2025; there will be 261 matches in the eight men's senior events instead of 203 due to the addition of three Champions competitions.

The 8 men's senior competitions feature 261 matches total, of which 131 are first-class, 40 are 50-over, and 90 are T20. The previous season, PCB arranged 51 first-class, 55 50-over, and 97 T20 matches.

Additionally, PCB will host almost 13,000 development and route games in all leagues, including clubs, schools, colleges, institutions, and U15, U17, and U19 teams.

Lahore, 5 August 2024:

In an effort to close the income gap between domestic and international cricket, the Pakistan Cricket Board today announced the addition of three Champions tournaments to the PCB Men's Domestic Cricket Season 2024–2025. This development will also provide a more demanding, competitive, and high-stress cricket playing environment for the game's future stars.

In the 2024–25 domestic cricket season, which is anticipated to run from 1 September 2024 to 5 August 2025, the Champions One-Day Cup, Champions T20 Cup, and Champions First-Class Cup will join the National T20 Cup, Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (regional first-class tournament), President's Trophy (departmental first-class tournament), President's Cup (departmental 50-over event), and HBL Pakistan Super League 2025.

The PCB will now host 261 matches across eight men's senior events after adding three Champions tournaments. This comprises 40 50-over matches in two tournaments, 97 T20 matches in three events, and 131 first-class matches in three competitions. The PCB had scheduled 203 games in the six men's senior tournaments for the 2023–2024 season, comprising 97 T20 matches, 51 first-class matches in two tournaments, and 55 50-over matches in two events.

Important characteristics of the recently launched Champions competitions are:

Every Champions Cup tournament will feature five teams: the Dolphins, Lions, Panthers, Stallions, and Wolves.

Every Champions Cup competition will have a double-league structure.

There will be a selection process including around 150 of the nation's top-performing domestic players over the previous three years as well as players under central contract (details to be announced soon).

A previous Pakistani superstar will serve as a mentor and maybe an owner for each team; the identities and specifics of the mentor and owner will be disclosed when available.

The following players are expected to support their team: batting/bowling/fielding coaches (minimum Level 3, three years experience), head coach (at least Level 3, minimum five years with a first-class side), Physiotherapist, operations manager, analyst, strength and conditioning coach, and manager of digital and media

For training and preparation, each team will have a specific Regional High Performance Center assigned to it in either of the following locations: Multan (Inzamam-ul-Haq High Performance Center), Sialkot (High Performance Centre, Sialkot), Lahore (National Cricket Academy), Karachi (Hanif Mohammad High Performance Center), or Faisalabad (High Performance Centre, Sialkot).

150 cricket players will receive enhanced domestic contracts divided into three categories: PKR250,000 for 60 players, PKR400,000 for 50 players, and PKR550,000 for 40 players in Category 1. PKR300,000 for A+ Category, PKR200,000 for A Category, PKR185,000 for B Category, PKR170,000 for C Category, PKR150,000 for D Category, PKR100,000 for E Category, and PKR50,000 for F Category were the domestic contracts offered for the 2023–24 season.

Players will get enhanced match fees in addition to their monthly retainers, which are as follows: PKR 200,000 for red-ball cricket contests, PKR 125,000 for 50-over matches, and PKR 100,000 for T20 matches. Red-ball and white-ball cricket match fees in the 2023–24 season were PKR80,000 and PKR40,000, respectively.

A corporate sponsor and a media partner will be present on both sides. The rights to broadcast and live-stream, sponsor the event title, have ground branding rights, and sell tickets and products are some of the other revenue sources.

The PCB Men's Domestic Cricket Season 2024–25 will begin with the Champions One-Day Cup, a 21-match competition held from September 1–29. The PCB Men’s Domestic Cricket Season 2024–25 will conclude on May 28 with the Champions First-Class Cup, which takes place on August 5–6.

The PCB will hold 11 development/pathway tournaments in addition to the eight men's senior tournaments between August 2024 and September 2025. These tournaments will be held independently of the three Pakistan Shaheens and one Pakistan U19 away series.

This potentially mean that the aspiring young players will play in approximately 13,000 games in all competitions at the school, college, university, club, U15, U17, U19, Regional Inter-District Senior, and Challenge League Senior levels. This will allow them to showcase their abilities, win over coaches and selectors with their performances, and establish themselves as candidates for selection in the regional, departmental, franchise, and Champions sides. All the while, they will be climbing the ladder to achieve their goals.

The PCB Men's Domestic Cricket Season 2024–25's eight men's senior competitions have the following tentative dates (schedules, formats, and other details will be released closer to time):

• Champions One-Day Cup: September 1–29 (21 matches, five teams) (New Event)
• President's Cup (50-over): October 3–15, 19 matches for 9 teams; matches for 7 teams, 24 matches in 2023–2024
• Quaid-e-Azam Trophy: 18 teams, 73 matches, October 20–December 18 (eight teams, 29 matches in 2023–24)
• Champions T20 Cup: five teams, 21 matches, December 21–January 2 (new tournament)
• First-class: 6 January–7 March (nine teams, 37 matches) (seven teams, 22 matches in 2023–24) President's Trophy
• 13–21 March is National T20 Cup (18 teams, 35 matches). 18 teams, 63 games in the 2023–24 season
• Pakistan Super League 2025 (six teams, 34 matches) runs from April 10 to May 25, 2025 (six teams, 34 matches in 2023-24).
• Champions First-Class Cup: five teams, twenty-one matches, from May 28 to August 5. (New Event)

PCB Chair Mohsin Naqvi:

"Our current rankings—sixth in Tests, fourth in ODIs, and seventh in T20Is—do not accurately represent Pakistan cricket's actual potential or legacy. In order to reclaim our rightful position at the top of the cricket world, we need to systematically improve, grow, and fortify our domestic system. The launch of the three Champions competitions is a daring move in this regard.

"To create an environment that mimics the intensity of international cricket, the Champions events will bring together our most talented and reliable domestic cricket players with our centrally contracted players. These events, with their broadcast matches, illustrious mentors, first-rate coaching staff, and widespread media attention, will give our participants the experience and exposure they require.

"These competitions aim to transform and revitalize our entire cricketing ecosystem, not merely to close the gap between domestic and international cricket. We are developing the next generation of cricket players by creating a distinct and progressive route from clubs, schools, and colleges to intra-district, inter-district, and regional/department contests.

The Champions events will provide our athletes with an opportunity to directly experience the demands and hardships of playing international cricket at home. Establishing a strong and fiercely competitive domestic framework that reliably generates elite talent is crucial.

"I have a really positive outlook for Pakistani cricket. We will reap enormous rewards from the investments we are making through the Champions events. Our commitment is in spotting, developing, and readying our finest talent to represent Pakistan internationally.