PCB to introduce Champions events in 2024-25 domestic season

[FearlessRoar]

To bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket, provide a tougher, more competitive and high-pressure cricket playing environment, and create better and enhanced earning opportunities for its future stars, the Pakistan Cricket Board today announced the addition of three Champions tournaments as part of the PCB Men’s Domestic Cricket Season 2024-25.

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 in the 2024-25 domestic cricket season, expected to run from 1 September 2024 to 5 August 2025.

With the addition of three Champions tournaments, the PCB will now organise a total of 261 matches across eight men’s senior tournaments. This includes 131 first-class matches in three events, 40 50-over matches in two events and 97 T20 matches in three events. In the 2023-24 season, the PCB had organised 203 matches in the six men’s senior tournaments, including 51 first-class matches in two tournaments, 55 50-over matches in two events and 97 T20 matches.

Salient features of the newly-introduced Champions tournaments are:

o Five sides – Dolphins, Lions, Panthers, Stallions and Wolves - will compete in each Champions Cup event

o Each Champions Cup event will be played in a double-league format

o Around 150 of the country’s highest-performing domestic players from the past three years and centrally contracted players will be available for selection (more details to be shared in due course)

o Each side will have a former Pakistan superstar as a mentor and potentially as an owner (mentor and owner names/details to be announced in due course)

o Player support personnel of each side are expected to include: Head Coach (at least Level 3, minimum five years with a first-class side), batting/bowling/fielding coaches (minimum Level 3, three-year experience), Strength and Conditioning Coach, Physiotherapist, Analyst, Operations Manager, and Media/Digital Media Manager

o Each side will be allocated a dedicated Regional High Performance Centre in Faisalabad (High Performance Centre Faisalabad), Karachi (Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre), Lahore (National Cricket Academy), Multan (Inzamam-ul-Haq High Performance Centre), and Sialkot (High Performance Centre, Sialkot) for training and practice

o Enhanced domestic contracts will be offered to 150 cricketers as: Category 1: 40 players, PKR550,000 per month; Category 2: 50 players, PKR400,000 per month; Category 3: 60 players, PKR250,000 per month. In the 2023-24 season, domestic contracts were offered as 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

o In addition to the monthly retainers, players will receive improved match fees as follows: PKR200,000 for red-ball cricket, PKR125,000 for 50-over matches and PKR100,000 for T20 matches. In the 2023-24 season, match fees were PKR80,000 and PKR40,000 for red and white-ball cricket, respectively

o Each side will have a Corporate Sponsor and Media Partner. Other revenue streams will include broadcast and live-streaming rights, event title sponsorship, ground branding rights and ticket sales/merchandise

The Champions One-Day Cup will serve as the season opener of the PCB Men’s Domestic Cricket Season 2024-25 when the 21-match tournament is played from 1-29 September. Curtains will fall on the PCB Men’s Domestic Cricket Season 2024-25 with the Champions First-Class Cup, which will be held from 28 May to 5 August.

In addition to the eight men’s senior tournaments in the period from August 2024 to September 2025, the PCB will also organise 11 development/pathway tournaments which will be separate to the three Pakistan Shaheens and one Pakistan U19 away series.

This potentially means, the budding and upcoming youngsters are expected to get around 13,000 matches at the schools, colleges, universities, clubs, U15, U17, U19, Regional Inter-District Senior and Challenge League Senior levels across all formats to test their skills, impress their coaches and selectors with their performances, make themselves available for selection in the regional, departmental, franchise and Champions sides and, in the meantime, continue to walk up the ladder in pursuit of their dreams.

Tentative dates of the eight men’s senior tournaments in the PCB Men’s Domestic Cricket Season 2024-25 are (schedules, formats and other details will be announced closer to time):

o Champions One-Day Cup: 1-29 September (five teams, 21 matches) (new event)
o President’s Cup (50-over): 3-15 October (nine teams, 19 matches) (seven teams, 24 matches in 2023-24)
o Quaid-e-Azam Trophy: 20 October-18 December (18 teams, 73 matches) (eight teams, 29 matches in 2023-24)
o Champions T20 Cup: 21 December -2 January (five teams, 21 matches) (new event)
o President’s Trophy (first-class): 6 January-7 March (nine teams, 37 matches) (seven teams, 22 matches in 2023-24)
o National T20 Cup: 13-21 March (18 teams, 35 matches) (18 teams, 63 matches in 2023-24)
o Pakistan Super League 2025: 10 April-25 May (six teams, 34 matches) (six teams, 34 matches in 2023-24)
o Champions First-Class Cup: 28 May-5 August (five teams, 21 matches) (new event)

PCB Chair Mohsin Naqvi:

“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. The introduction of the three Champions tournaments is a bold step in this direction.

“The Champions tournaments will bring together our most talented and consistent performers from domestic cricket with our centrally contracted players, creating an environment that mirrors the intensity of international cricket. With broadcast matches, legendary mentors, elite coaching staff and extensive media coverage, these tournaments will provide our players with the exposure and experience they need.

“These tournaments are not just about bridging the gap between domestic and international cricket, they are about revolutionising and rejuvenating our entire cricketing ecosystem. By establishing a clear and progressive pathway from clubs, schools and universities to intra-district, to inter-district, to regional/department competitions, we are nurturing the next generation of cricketing stars.

“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.

“I am incredibly optimistic about the future of Pakistan cricket. The investments we are making through the Champions tournaments will pay immense dividends. We are dedicated to identifying, nurturing and preparing our best talent to represent Pakistan on the global stage.”

 

[Ahmed216]

We need better pitches too with some bounce to improve our performances in southern hemisphere especially

 

[Bewal Express]

View attachment 145567

To bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket, provide a tougher, more competitive and high-pressure cricket playing environment, and create better and enhanced earning opportunities for its future stars, the Pakistan Cricket Board today announced the addition of three Champions tournaments as part of the PCB Men’s Domestic Cricket Season 2024-25.

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 in the 2024-25 domestic cricket season, expected to run from 1 September 2024 to 5 August 2025.

With the addition of three Champions tournaments, the PCB will now organise a total of 261 matches across eight men’s senior tournaments. This includes 131 first-class matches in three events, 40 50-over matches in two events and 97 T20 matches in three events. In the 2023-24 season, the PCB had organised 203 matches in the six men’s senior tournaments, including 51 first-class matches in two tournaments, 55 50-over matches in two events and 97 T20 matches.

Salient features of the newly-introduced Champions tournaments are:

o Five sides – Dolphins, Lions, Panthers, Stallions and Wolves - will compete in each Champions Cup event

o Each Champions Cup event will be played in a double-league format

o Around 150 of the country’s highest-performing domestic players from the past three years and centrally contracted players will be available for selection (more details to be shared in due course)

o Each side will have a former Pakistan superstar as a mentor and potentially as an owner (mentor and owner names/details to be announced in due course)

o Player support personnel of each side are expected to include: Head Coach (at least Level 3, minimum five years with a first-class side), batting/bowling/fielding coaches (minimum Level 3, three-year experience), Strength and Conditioning Coach, Physiotherapist, Analyst, Operations Manager, and Media/Digital Media Manager

o Each side will be allocated a dedicated Regional High Performance Centre in Faisalabad (High Performance Centre Faisalabad), Karachi (Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre), Lahore (National Cricket Academy), Multan (Inzamam-ul-Haq High Performance Centre), and Sialkot (High Performance Centre, Sialkot) for training and practice

o Enhanced domestic contracts will be offered to 150 cricketers as: Category 1: 40 players, PKR550,000 per month; Category 2: 50 players, PKR400,000 per month; Category 3: 60 players, PKR250,000 per month. In the 2023-24 season, domestic contracts were offered as 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

o In addition to the monthly retainers, players will receive improved match fees as follows: PKR200,000 for red-ball cricket, PKR125,000 for 50-over matches and PKR100,000 for T20 matches. In the 2023-24 season, match fees were PKR80,000 and PKR40,000 for red and white-ball cricket, respectively

o Each side will have a Corporate Sponsor and Media Partner. Other revenue streams will include broadcast and live-streaming rights, event title sponsorship, ground branding rights and ticket sales/merchandise

The Champions One-Day Cup will serve as the season opener of the PCB Men’s Domestic Cricket Season 2024-25 when the 21-match tournament is played from 1-29 September. Curtains will fall on the PCB Men’s Domestic Cricket Season 2024-25 with the Champions First-Class Cup, which will be held from 28 May to 5 August.

In addition to the eight men’s senior tournaments in the period from August 2024 to September 2025, the PCB will also organise 11 development/pathway tournaments which will be separate to the three Pakistan Shaheens and one Pakistan U19 away series.

This potentially means, the budding and upcoming youngsters are expected to get around 13,000 matches at the schools, colleges, universities, clubs, U15, U17, U19, Regional Inter-District Senior and Challenge League Senior levels across all formats to test their skills, impress their coaches and selectors with their performances, make themselves available for selection in the regional, departmental, franchise and Champions sides and, in the meantime, continue to walk up the ladder in pursuit of their dreams.

Tentative dates of the eight men’s senior tournaments in the PCB Men’s Domestic Cricket Season 2024-25 are (schedules, formats and other details will be announced closer to time):

o Champions One-Day Cup: 1-29 September (five teams, 21 matches) (new event)
o President’s Cup (50-over): 3-15 October (nine teams, 19 matches) (seven teams, 24 matches in 2023-24)
o Quaid-e-Azam Trophy: 20 October-18 December (18 teams, 73 matches) (eight teams, 29 matches in 2023-24)
o Champions T20 Cup: 21 December -2 January (five teams, 21 matches) (new event)
o President’s Trophy (first-class): 6 January-7 March (nine teams, 37 matches) (seven teams, 22 matches in 2023-24)
o National T20 Cup: 13-21 March (18 teams, 35 matches) (18 teams, 63 matches in 2023-24)
o Pakistan Super League 2025: 10 April-25 May (six teams, 34 matches) (six teams, 34 matches in 2023-24)
o Champions First-Class Cup: 28 May-5 August (five teams, 21 matches) (new event)

PCB Chair Mohsin Naqvi:

“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. The introduction of the three Champions tournaments is a bold step in this direction.

“The Champions tournaments will bring together our most talented and consistent performers from domestic cricket with our centrally contracted players, creating an environment that mirrors the intensity of international cricket. With broadcast matches, legendary mentors, elite coaching staff and extensive media coverage, these tournaments will provide our players with the exposure and experience they need.

“These tournaments are not just about bridging the gap between domestic and international cricket, they are about revolutionising and rejuvenating our entire cricketing ecosystem. By establishing a clear and progressive pathway from clubs, schools and universities to intra-district, to inter-district, to regional/department competitions, we are nurturing the next generation of cricketing stars.

“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.

“I am incredibly optimistic about the future of Pakistan cricket. The investments we are making through the Champions tournaments will pay immense dividends. We are dedicated to identifying, nurturing and preparing our best talent to represent Pakistan on the global stage.”

So practically we IKs system back with strength playing strength because they have discovered that the gap between domestic and International is too big. Who would have known this? Well everyone that had a brain cell and watched the dross called FC last year.

 

[CleverSir]

So exactly what Eshan Mani and Wasim Khan were doing. They were run out of town cause most of these crooks pockets weren’t being lined.

 

[Bewal Express]

So exactly what Eshan Mani and Wasim Khan were doing. They were run out of town cause most of these crooks pockets weren’t being lined.

Absolutely and we wasted 2 years when that system could have been refined and improved.

 

[Nasty Naz]

Domestic season was like 4 months in recent times and now its like 12 months and 3 FC tournament.

Blows my mind how year after year there is such drastic changes to a domestic tournament. This is supposed to be the base of Pakistan cricket and should essentially remain the same and run like clockwork yearly. Instead its a shocking amount of changes every year from balls to pitches to number of teams, number of tournaments etc. For god sake, there's not even consistency in the affiliation of domestic teams. It's always some super random team with stupid names that no one remembers or follows and it blows my mind this nonsense tradition continues.

There is no promotion of these domestic events, no one follows or cares about it. Frankly most of them aren't even broadcast and its so disappointing. Across the world fans do follow their respective domestic teams and have a fan following but it is literally impossible in Pakistan with the ever changing domestic, structure, teams, team names, pitches etc. There is little to zero focus on ever having quality but rather quantity but quantity so nobody even knows whats going on.

This clown of a chairman probably think he's had some sort of huge accomplishment creating a longer domestic season and adding more teams when in reality it is not and will inevitably be revamped next year when it fails, yet again.

 

[mominsaigol]

The plan is good, but ik PCB. Their execution is doo doo, they'll find a way to mess it up

 

[RidiculousMan]

In recent times. The quality of domestic Cricket was best in Mani and Wasim era and the production was best during Ramiz Era. We need both of these together

 

[Bewal Express]

In recent times. The quality of domestic Cricket was best in Mani and Wasim era and the production was best during Ramiz Era. We need both of these together

If you saw the shocking levels last year, you realise what an absolute horrible mess these crooks have made.

 

[RidiculousMan]

If you saw the shocking levels last year, you realise what an absolute horrible mess these crooks have made.

I didn't saw last year of domestic cricket much because coverage was of the dark old times (basically non existent). But some of the stories made way for me and after hearing them I was shocked as well.

 

[Bewal Express]

I didn't saw last year of domestic cricket much because coverage was of the dark old times (basically non existent). But some of the stories made way for me and after hearing them I was shocked as well.

See how those guys that spent hours telling us how the system that failed so badly was actually the better system and then when it was an absolute shambles. Where did @Major go last year when this system was in play.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

It's good to have this domestic tournaments but until we won't select top performers from here, we still would be prolonging our trophy drought.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

The new PCB administration under Mohsin Naqvi has taken some good initiatives of late and one of it appears to be third new Champions tournament. But the big question is would it be just another domestic tournament that won't help PCT in ending his trophy drought? Or would it be s game changer for PCT, with exceptional achievements and new talents in the offing?

 

[DeadlyVenom]

One tournament won't do anything.

Initiatives need to run for multiple years to hear fruit.

Sadly the PCB has incredibly short sighted vision usually because a new chairman comes in and wants to stamp his own authority.

Judge the set up fully after 5 years.

 

[Rana]

It will only work if you dont have the same core of influential players in leadership roles. They will do whatever is best for them only to be prominent.

 

[mominsaigol]

One tournament won't do anything.

Initiatives need to run for multiple years to hear fruit.

Sadly the PCB has incredibly short sighted vision usually because a new chairman comes in and wants to stamp his own authority.

Judge the set up fully after 5 years.

One tournament can do alot, Pakistan in 2016 was getting whitewashed to Bangladesh and Zimbabwe but by 2017 whitewashed west indies and won ct and become a competent mid card whoteball side (Garbage red ball side though)

The problem is never the players, give players even a few months of international experience across grounds across the planet and a huge difference can be made.

Problem is structure.

1) You have a structure where the captain doesn't reward merit and hard work aka going out of his way to protect shadab by not bowling him for 2 games, and then bowling him against a no 10 for ireland only to get tonked and giving rizwan, Chacha etc free rides while other players have to sit out or the sane criteria ain't applied.

So in a nut shell you're creating lazy unmotivated workers and ensuring merit and hard work is thrown put the window.

2) Followed by structure that has zero fitness criteria in a sports based setting where azam khan is rewarded and half the team especially bobby himself is fatter and chubbier and going to malls right before the match against India in a world cup. Like why couldn't he have gone to a mall with his family in USA during off season?

Dude is a millionaire and can afford it. Was a shopping g trip during line of duty nessasry?

3) The captain creates and curates pitches because he's too afraid of Nepali spinners?

4) You have a structure where players who complain on tv( Even if imad and amir are right but still) get free rides into the team with no merit when amir wasn't the best bowler of psl and mohammad Ali was. Imad warranted a place but if he couldn't run how did management not notice and allow him to play?

5) Then you have more free riders with azam khan, Usman Khan(UAE crybaby propaganda), and shan masood etc etc.

6) Lastly you have no system of Value. If falhar is your most valuable player insong then why aren't you focusing on helping him be insong consistently? Why are you having Misbah tell him to his face that he's a crao player and having an even less valuable player like rizwan replace him solely due to Rizzu offering a modest Consiatency package but no impact play.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

You detailed these things above but they exist because of an absence of structure. When nothing solid is in place, the gaps are filled by gut feelings, personal likes and dislikes, and caution and changing whims of those employed by a musical chairs system.

All of these things stem from a lack of system and fear that things could change tomorrow so I better be as greedy as I can today. Or a new chairman comes in and decides things on a whim - like the Babar captaincy by Naqvi.

Judging by the results of one tournament alone is also the absence of structure. You need to give it time for the systems to mature and develop.

 

[Rana]

PSL Pakistani Captains:

Babar Azam
Mohammad Rizwan
Shaheen Afridi
Shadab Khan
Shan Masood


Sort this out first. None of them should be in leadership roles

 

[mominsaigol]

You detailed these things above but they exist because of an absence of structure. When nothing solid is in place, the gaps are filled by gut feelings, personal likes and dislikes, and caution and changing whims of those employed by a musical chairs system.

All of these things stem from a lack of system and fear that things could change tomorrow so I better be as greedy as I can today. Or a new chairman comes in and decides things on a whim - like the Babar captaincy by Naqvi.

Judging by the results of one tournament alone is also the absence of structure. You need to give it time for the systems to mature and develop.

A system can mature and develop very very quickly.

- England took less then a year to go from the weakest team in 2015 wc(excluding minnows) to the strongest team in the world by 2017-2019

Heck if you wish to talk business terms

- Facebook took 4 months to become the most visited colledge site on the planet and less then 2 years to reach 3rd most visited website of all time in 2006.

England happened because a solid structure at ecb existed. Same case with Facebook aka investors and tech infrastructure in SV existed.

PCB and pakistan cricket already has a structure, it is not a country like Uganda or Oman which has no structure, barely any funding amd is made of office workers, It's the 4th richest board on the planet even richer then South Africa and New Zealand

Pakistan cricket has its own league, a system which let's players play in international leagues, it's own structure to organise tours and events, it's structure is so strong that they get to play India every year in tournaments due to sheer popularity.

They have grounds all across the country etc etc with various local teams cough SNGPL cough and sui gas etc.

However their using the structure incorrectly by any metrics cause their too afraid(aka Pakistan team protecting chacha at times by shoving him to no 9 to avoid wrist spin), Too egotistical( Babar and ramiz raja curating pitches to drive forward the King Mantra), too nepotisitc (azam kham, Shan, Rizwan, Chacha) or just don't know how to handle media pressure which is why imad, Amir, Usman Khan were rushed in.

You created a culture where their is no need to work hard as its easier to be friends with someone like Misbah, Babar or Naqvi then it is to actually top the charts and represent your country based of actual skill set.

 

[mominsaigol]

PSL Pakistani Captains:

Babar Azam
Mohammad Rizwan
Shaheen Afridi
Shadab Khan
Shan Masood


Sort this out first. None of them should be in leadership roles

@DeadlyVenom ^^ This is another example of structure being used incorrectly.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

@DeadlyVenom ^^ This is another example of structure being used incorrectly.

Those choices are made by private investors who probably don't understand the game but put these players in because they are well known or have brand value on a poster.

There is nothing that anyone can do if the owners of the teams select those captains.

 

[mominsaigol]

Those choices are made by private investors who probably don't understand the game but put these players in because they are well known or have brand value on a poster.

There is nothing that anyone can do if the owners of the teams select those captains.

Yes but their making the decisions because PCB is advertising it this way.

PCB has put Babar as the captain of Pakistan cricket.

Rizwan as his right hand man, ace keeper and 2nd most hyoed money making marketing machine.

Shan as captain of the test side

Shaheen as Star Bowler of Pakistan cricket etc etc.

^^ People who don't know much about cricket will obviously buy into said marketing propaganda so it's 100% the fault of the internal structure for failing to market to investors properly.

Investors don't do anything beyond fund, and they fund nearly an 100+ companies, Because when you fund that many, a few of these companies will succeed and become conglomerate empires. It's always up thr main stakeholders and founders to market themselves and work onwards.

If PCB can't market themselves to their investors and are sogging their own grave in international as a result then it's still 100% their fault.

 

[Markhor]

Three FC competitions alongside three T20 tournaments is complete overkill. Without a proper ground rotation policy the pitches will be overused. It'll also send costs skyrocketing with more expenditure on hotels, accomodation, groundstaff and officials.

It's also crazy to schedule FC cricket in Pakistan from the last week of May to the first week of August given the heat.

Ditching the useless departments would free up space and create a more logical structure.

Aug 2024 - National T20 Cup - fun curtain raiser for the domestic season and PSL feeder competition.
Sep 2024 - QEA One Day Cup
Oct 2024 - Champions One Day Cup (featuring best performers of QEA ODC)
Nov-Feb 2025 - Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (double round robin)
Mar-Apr 2025 - 4 Day Champions Cup (featuring best performers of QEA Trophy)
Apr-May 2025 - Pakistan Super League to finish the domestic season

June and July can be reserved for A tours, overseas leagues, or rest.

 

[Omer2002]

Three FC competitions alongside three T20 tournaments is complete overkill. Without a proper ground rotation policy the pitches will be overused. It'll also send costs skyrocketing with more expenditure on hotels, accomodation, groundstaff and officials.

It's also crazy to schedule FC cricket in Pakistan from the last week of May to the first week of August given the heat.

Ditching the useless departments would free up space and create a more logical structure.

Aug 2024 - National T20 Cup - fun curtain raiser for the domestic season and PSL feeder competition.
Sep 2024 - QEA One Day Cup
Oct 2024 - Champions One Day Cup (featuring best performers of QEA ODC)
Nov-Feb 2025 - Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (double round robin)
Mar-Apr 2025 - 4 Day Champions Cup (featuring best performers of QEA Trophy)
Apr-May 2025 - Pakistan Super League to finish the domestic season

June and July can be reserved for A tours, overseas leagues, or rest.

I frankly dont care. The more cricket the better. Players like Imam and Abdullah been doing nothing for past 6 months.

 

[Bewal Express]

I frankly dont care. The more cricket the better. Players like Imam and Abdullah been doing nothing for past 6 months.

Lots of level cricket has 2 impacts- the players drop down to the poorer level because pitches are over used and become lower and slower. And too many matches players don't get the pressure of making every innings count because there is another match tomorrow etc

 

[Markhor]

I frankly dont care. The more cricket the better. Players like Imam and Abdullah been doing nothing for past 6 months.

More cricket can be obtained by changing QEA format to double round robin, ensuring each team plays 14 matches.

The best QEA performers can then play in the elite 5 team competition.

This third tournament with the departments is totally useless. Nobody cares about Ghani Glass vs PIA etc.

 

[gazza619]

Money and tournaments dont bring success. Honesty, sincerity and integrity does, and in these departments Naqvi and Waqar score a zero.

 

[ElRaja]

champs first class in june july, yeah, sounds about right PCB, lol.

 

[kingusama92]

Wasim Khan was the only one who ever did it right at the domestic level.

This is taking some of the same concepts which is a good thing but also overkill when it comes to the amount of cricket being played.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Simply increasing the number of tournaments won't help... they need to improve the quality of these tournaments to produce better players.

 

[CleverSir]

A system can mature and develop very very quickly.

- England took less then a year to go from the weakest team in 2015 wc(excluding minnows) to the strongest team in the world by 2017-2019

Heck if you wish to talk business terms

- Facebook took 4 months to become the most visited colledge site on the planet and less then 2 years to reach 3rd most visited website of all time in 2006.

England happened because a solid structure at ecb existed. Same case with Facebook aka investors and tech infrastructure in SV existed.

PCB and pakistan cricket already has a structure, it is not a country like Uganda or Oman which has no structure, barely any funding amd is made of office workers, It's the 4th richest board on the planet even richer then South Africa and New Zealand

Pakistan cricket has its own league, a system which let's players play in international leagues, it's own structure to organise tours and events, it's structure is so strong that they get to play India every year in tournaments due to sheer popularity.

They have grounds all across the country etc etc with various local teams cough SNGPL cough and sui gas etc.

However their using the structure incorrectly by any metrics cause their too afraid(aka Pakistan team protecting chacha at times by shoving him to no 9 to avoid wrist spin), Too egotistical( Babar and ramiz raja curating pitches to drive forward the King Mantra), too nepotisitc (azam kham, Shan, Rizwan, Chacha) or just don't know how to handle media pressure which is why imad, Amir, Usman Khan were rushed in.

You created a culture where their is no need to work hard as its easier to be friends with someone like Misbah, Babar or Naqvi then it is to actually top the charts and represent your country based of actual skill set.

England started reforming their system in 1997. It took them a decade to get that system to produce consistent top talent again. Since then they’ve had at least three more smaller reforms after they’ve ordered a commission to review their systems. They didn’t become so good overnight.

 

[mominsaigol]

England started reforming their system in 1997. It took them a decade to get that system to produce consistent top talent again. Since then they’ve had at least three more smaller reforms after they’ve ordered a commission to review their systems. They didn’t become so good overnight.

Your missing the point.

PCB ain't a new board. It's the 4th richest board which has its own leagues, Had grounds all over pakistan with an extra home in the UAE along with frequent domestic games played across the country alongside central contracts and ampung other things.

It ain't a Uganda nation that would require alot of foreign money + Interest and revenue + work and development to make an entire structure which would take 10 to 20 years to do.

People just don't want to admit that bad politics and weak decisions are ruining the game.

Their is no system of Hard work and the selection and merit criteria is extremely unfair. If you're a friend of someone in high power then not only are undroppable by any metric but they'll also go put of your way to protect you and try to make you work as seen with rizwan, Chacha, Shadab, Shan Masood etc and to a small extent Azam.

Heck the whole selection system itself seems to reward players who are nepotisitc, Friends with higher ups and boost their stats on deliberately curated batting pitches where stat sheets on avg 40 and > is the metric of selection..

The concept of fitness, Value, and competiton aka be the best or be replaced by someone better is completly missing.

A player like Travis head got dropped numerous times throughout his career in his first stint, he didn't become a sensation overnight. The system was designed where he was forced to work hard and adopt to modern standards in terms of fitness, Strength and Batting ability.

He's opening for his team because he is the best opener in Australia plain and simple and no one comes close. Whereas people like babar, Rizwan, Imam and Abdullah shafiq are opening because either captain wants easy life, Or in the case of rizwan and Imam( Their friends with higher ups and hence they have to bat here as they can't function and perform anywhere else because when batting lower they collapsed like a house of cards) and in the case of Abdullah it's because he's a Babar friend hence he got fast tracked to be Pakistan's priemere opener for a world cup despite only having 7 List A games.

Look at the criteria and metrics Travis head had to go through and look how ridiculously easy it for Babar, Rizwan, Imam and Abdullah who are the bare definition of Spoon feeders.

Theirs a reason Travis is superior, not because he was naturally born to be. And the Pcb board can easily emulate CA style, I'm sick of people pretending that they can't and making excuses.

Theirs a difference between not being able to and not wanting to because you're infatuated with making cricket a boy band friend club and want to throw fitness, Practise and development outside the window because Misbah, Inzi or any ones fathers who work at pcb make it easy to get accepted.

 

[Omer2002]

More cricket can be obtained by changing QEA format to double round robin, ensuring each team plays 14 matches.

The best QEA performers can then play in the elite 5 team competition.

This third tournament with the departments is totally useless. Nobody cares about Ghani Glass vs PIA etc.

I completely agree i was against departments anyways.

 

[Omer2002]

Your missing the point.

PCB ain't a new board. It's the 4th richest board which has its own leagues, Had grounds all over pakistan with an extra home in the UAE along with frequent domestic games played across the country alongside central contracts and ampung other things.

It ain't a Uganda nation that would require alot of foreign money + Interest and revenue + work and development to make an entire structure which would take 10 to 20 years to do.

People just don't want to admit that bad politics and weak decisions are ruining the game.

Their is no system of Hard work and the selection and merit criteria is extremely unfair. If you're a friend of someone in high power then not only are undroppable by any metric but they'll also go put of your way to protect you and try to make you work as seen with rizwan, Chacha, Shadab, Shan Masood etc and to a small extent Azam.

Heck the whole selection system itself seems to reward players who are nepotisitc, Friends with higher ups and boost their stats on deliberately curated batting pitches where stat sheets on avg 40 and > is the metric of selection..

The concept of fitness, Value, and competiton aka be the best or be replaced by someone better is completly missing.

A player like Travis head got dropped numerous times throughout his career in his first stint, he didn't become a sensation overnight. The system was designed where he was forced to work hard and adopt to modern standards in terms of fitness, Strength and Batting ability.

He's opening for his team because he is the best opener in Australia plain and simple and no one comes close. Whereas people like babar, Rizwan, Imam and Abdullah shafiq are opening because either captain wants easy life, Or in the case of rizwan and Imam( Their friends with higher ups and hence they have to bat here as they can't function and perform anywhere else because when batting lower they collapsed like a house of cards) and in the case of Abdullah it's because he's a Babar friend hence he got fast tracked to be Pakistan's priemere opener for a world cup despite only having 7 List A games.

Look at the criteria and metrics Travis head had to go through and look how ridiculously easy it for Babar, Rizwan, Imam and Abdullah who are the bare definition of Spoon feeders.

Theirs a reason Travis is superior, not because he was naturally born to be. And the Pcb board can easily emulate CA style, I'm sick of people pretending that they can't and making excuses.

Theirs a difference between not being able to and not wanting to because you're infatuated with making cricket a boy band friend club and want to throw fitness, Practise and development outside the window because Misbah, Inzi or any ones fathers who work at pcb make it easy to get accepted.

Abdullah in my opinion has been fast tracked but he is a prospect.he is a find and half if he keeps working hard. I dont see any talent in pak full stop. Wasnt inzy fast tracked too. One thing we are forgetting too is we never had cricket in country for 10 yrs that affected us big time

 

[mominsaigol]

Abdullah in my opinion has been fast tracked but he is a prospect.he is a find and half if he keeps working hard. I dont see any talent in pak full stop. Wasnt inzy fast tracked too. One thing we are forgetting too is we never had cricket in country for 10 yrs that affected us big time

Abdullah Shafiq was not fast tracked into test and fully deserved a spot in the test team.

However for ODI he was 100% fast tracked into the team because Babar spoke highly of his technique.

Abdullah to his credit has made every use of his opportunity in odi and test so full cresit to him.

But that isn't the point. Alot of aussie players aka even their 22 year old prospects have multiple Donestic games under their belt, League games under their belt, county games under their belt, Played under 19 etc etc.

Australia selects purely on merit, people forget that Travis head didn't drop from the sky, he failed in his first stint, was dropped but after finch retired, due to Travis head top scoring in domestic, he was given the opportunity again. But that doesn't apply in pakistan. Look at fawad alam who had been topping charts for years but didn't get into the team until the misbah gang of shafiq, Azhar etc gave way, by the time fawad came in he was an aged corpse?

Warner announced that he's ready to play ct 2025 but CA straight up said no, we're selecting Jake because he's in better form atm and Warner is washed up now. CA doesn't care about seniority.

Maxwell is a no 4 because he's the best allrounder for the country, Travis is opening because he's the best opener for the country, Steve Smith got dropped because he's washed up in whiteball etc etc.

Meanwhile in pakistan you have

1) Shadab consistently being played over abrar and salman Ali Agha due to being a friend and babar goi g so far as to not bowl shadab and only bowl him to tail enders lol.

2) Rizwan getting opening position and no 4 in odi due to crying on the media and being a misbah friend( Whether you think rizzu merits it or not isnt the point)

3) Chacha being given free rides at finishing because he's a misbah and rizwan friend. Chacha is crap at slips but keeps getting slip position so he can chat qith his buddy rizwam, Similarly they tried to make him work at no 5, he failed cause against wrist spin he's a no 11, then they tried to make him work at no 7, he flunked that too, so they decided to have him bowl and hide behind the allrounder and we don't have anyone else clause.

4) Imam got opening due to Inzi connections even though inzi claimed he wouldn't be based towards Imam despite straight up fast tracking him.

5) Shan getting test captaincy completely put of the blue.

6) Usman Khan getting a spot due t9 UAE media propaganda of not leaving.

7) Imad and Amir getting their spits because of media attention when it was clear Imad was not fit and amir was no where close to being the best psl bowler.

8) Babar getting free rides despite bad captaincy and extreme lack of form mainly due to past hype, Ramiz raja connections and pcb connections.

9) Abdullah getting fast tracked because he's a bobby friend.

10) Azam Khan getting in due to Moin Khan connections

11) Nawaz randomly being proclaimed a match winner?

Meanwhile if you are not a friend then we have the situation of

1) Babar claiming saud was making his debut against NZ in 2023 when he already had a half century and 4 odi games to his name, Management is so clueless they don't even know a player isn't making a debut.

2) Salman Ali agha after making multiple half centuries at 4, Gets dropped to no 5 and then dropped randomly altogether due to Rizwan crying about no 4.

3) tayyab tahir getting dropped for no reason, not even a single gane to try out

4) Muhammad haris getting excluded due to wahab riaz fight nonsense( yes ik haris is in poor form but poor form was not the reason they sacked him)

5) Fakhar Zaman getting bootlegged and bullied over and over. It's one thing to drop falhar for poor form at opening in t20, another for Misbah to outright say to his face that he sucks and will never be good enough and that rizwan is superior by all metrics which is ironic considering that Fakhar's achievements in odi dwarf any of Babar, rizwan and Misbah's achievements.

^^ Literally none of this a fair criteria.

Warner is getting shoved aside cause he's old and washed up, Whereas in pakistan if a player renounces his retirement they get in the team ASAP. Hahahahahaha. What a joke.

ABD may ve a good prospect, but that's the problem, If you choose all your friends, one or 2 of them are gonna work, but you'll end up with alot of shadab's and chacha's as well. Cause merit doesn't exist.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Having more matches and tournaments does not mean anything if the quality is not there.

PCB thinks that more matches will produce legends of the game but things do not work like that. Quality should be the main ingredient in a player's development process.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

More matches means more players will be discovered and more fitness levels required to keep playing these matches otherwise next player with higher work ethic will supersede you , the only question remain is the selection at grass root level and then at domestic level, if they nailed that then the system will definitely start producing more better talent.

They didn't change U19 tournaments by much which is a shame , must increase them as well and pay the kids handsomely in order to attract youth players.

I would say bring back PJL but pay them half compare to earlier.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Rameez understood the problem of youth is not getting attracted to cricket anymore and thus he introduced money to the youth so that we can discover better talent. Naqvi should stick with that policy for next 5 years and see where it is going.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Indian youth is attracted towards cricket because they have the best players in the world currently as a role model plus BCCI pays them handsomely.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Current change to the tournaments will not bring much success if the input quality of our product remains poor , must change the grass root first and start producing better youth players.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

PCB do have the money to change the fortunes of Pak cricket.

 

[FearlessRoar]

As per reports:

PCB has announced the introduction of Dukes and Kookaburra balls for the upcoming Domestic season.

Renowned for its pronounced seam and swing, the Dukes ball provides bowlers with a distinct advantage. It can potentially boost the skills of fast bowlers and create more challenging conditions for batsmen.

The PCB has opted for the Kookaburra ball for shorter formats, including One-Day and T20 matches. This ball is widely recognized in international cricket for its consistency and durability, making it an ideal choice for limited-overs formats.

 

[Nasty Naz]

As per reports:

PCB has announced the introduction of Dukes and Kookaburra balls for the upcoming Domestic season.

Renowned for its pronounced seam and swing, the Dukes ball provides bowlers with a distinct advantage. It can potentially boost the skills of fast bowlers and create more challenging conditions for batsmen.

The PCB has opted for the Kookaburra ball for shorter formats, including One-Day and T20 matches. This ball is widely recognized in international cricket for its consistency and durability, making it an ideal choice for limited-overs formats.

But they use Kookaburra balls at home when teams arrive to play Tests here so how is using Dukes ball supposed to help or prepare bowlers for that? Considering the tough bowling conditions in Pakistan, it's something they are supposed to be used to and figure out ways to take advantage of it when teams tour here rather than using Dukes and getting easier wickets domestically. Getting easy wickets with dukes isn't going to help them prepare for the international level and it will just boost the stats of bowlers who aren't quite international caliber.

 

[Misia]

Having more matches and tournaments does not mean anything if the quality is not there.

PCB thinks that more matches will produce legends of the game but things do not work like that. Quality should be the main ingredient in a player's development process.

what make you believe they are trying to produce only more legends and not just outstanding or very good cricketers.
The likes of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Vivian Richard, Brian Lara, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting. Martin Crowe, Kane Williamson, Arvinda Desilva, Sannath Jaysurya, Allan Donnald, Hashim Amla
religious leaders might grow on trees but true cricket legends don't

 

[Savak]

According to Umar Farooq Kalson in a recent interview, Mohsin Naqvi has given the PCB a challenge that they need to earn back atleast Rs 1 billion on the investment made by the PCB in the Champions tournaments.

 

[offstump]

According to the schedule, the champions one day cup is less than a week away and nothing has been announced. No pool of players, no “legends” for each team, no venues, nothing. What a mess. Waqar isn’t even in his seat, they chased him out of pcb offices because he has zero authority.

 

[Markhor]

According to the schedule, the champions one day cup is less than a week away and nothing has been announced. No pool of players, no “legends” for each team, no venues, nothing. What a mess. Waqar isn’t even in his seat, they chased him out of pcb offices because he has zero authority.

Classic PCB. Press release first, details are TBD.

 

[FearlessRoar]

PCB unveils five Champions Cup team mentors

Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik and Waqar Younis were today confirmed as mentors of the five Champions Cup sides on three-year contracts following a transparent and robust recruitment process. Names of their sides and squads will be confirmed in due course.

The first assignment of the mentors in the PCB Domestic Cricket Season 2024-25 will be the Champions One-Day Cup, which will be held at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad from 12 to 29 September. Best of the best cricketers from the country will feature in the single-league competition that will also serve as the homecoming of men’s seniors’ competitive cricket in Faisalabad after nearly two years. The last domestic men’s 50-over match played at the Iqbal Stadium was in March 2022 between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The five Champions Cup side mentors have played 1,621 international matches between them, scoring a total of 32,780 runs and taking 1,503 wickets between them. Of the five, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik are two-time ICC Event winners, Misbah is a one-time ICC Event winner and ACC Asia Cup 2012 winning captain, while Saqlain and Waqar were members of the side that played in the 1999 World Cup final.

PCB Chair Mohsin Naqvi

“I am pleased to welcome five exceptional champions as mentors for the Champions Cup teams. These individuals bring a wealth of cricketing experience, knowledge and expertise, which, combined with their passion for the game we all love, will help the Pakistan Cricket Board identify, develop and nurture the next generation of cricketers across all formats. This initiative will not only benefit the Pakistan men's cricket team but also help bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket.

“These five mentors will play a pivotal role in the development and progression of our emerging cricketers. They will guide strategic planning and team-building processes, while also providing support in leadership and personal development.

“The PCB is committed to strengthening Pakistan's cricket through a robust domestic structure that offers a clear and competitive pathway for all cricketers. The most talented and skilled players will advance through the ranks to represent Pakistan at the highest level.”

ABOUT THE MENTORS

Misbah-ul-Haq

• Pakistan’s most successful Test captain, who led his side to victories in 26 out of 56 Tests, including inspiring Pakistan to No.1 in the ICC Test Team Rankings in August 2016
• In 2014, equaled the then world record of fastest Test century by hitting a 56-ball 100 against Australia in Abu Dhabi
• Featured in two 50-over World Cups, three T20 World Cups and three ICC Champions Trophy events
• Was a member of the side that played the final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2007 and won the tournament two years later at Lord’s
• One of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year for 2017

Saqlain Mushtaq

• Is the fastest to 250 ODI wickets and took most ODI wickets in a calendar year
• Is second on the list of most consecutive five-wickets in an ODI innings
• Took two hat-tricks in ODIs, including one in a World Cup
• Is the inventor of ‘Doosra’
• Played in three World Cups and two Champions Trophy events

Sarfaraz Ahmed

• Captained Pakistan to victories in the ICC U19 World Cup 2006 and ICC Champions Trophy 2017, was a member of the Pakistan side that won the ACC Asia Cup 2012
• Led Pakistan to No.1 in ICC T20I Team Rankings
• Holds the record for most dismissals in an ODI (all 6 catches)
• Only the second wicket-keeper to have captained his side in 50 or more ODIs; 17th on the ODI list of wicket-keepers with 2,000 runs and 100 dismissals
• Also played in two 50-over World Cups and one T20 World Cup

Shoaib Malik

• Played in 2007 and 2019 50-over World Cup; featured in six T20 World Cups, including captaining the side in the 2007 event; and, six Champions Trophy tournaments
• Is 33rd on the list of ODI players with 1,000 runs, 50 wickets and 50 catches
• Holds the record for one of the longest international careers, spanning over 19 years and 245 days
• Has appeared in 35 Tests, 287 ODIs and 124 T20Is in which he has scored 11,867 runs and taken 218 wickets
• He is considered as one of the most sought after and busiest cricketers in franchise cricket

Waqar Younis

• Played in three 50-over World Cups
• Holds the record for fastest to 400 ODI wickets
• Leads the list of captains with best ODI bowling figure
• Is one of the bowlers to dismiss all 11 batters in a Test match
• Coached Pakistan in the 2010 and 2016 T20 World Cups and 2015 World Cup, while last served Pakistan as bowling coach from 2019-2021

 

[Asif321]

except Waqar others look fine

 

[Rana]

Here they are

I got 2/5

How can Waqar Younis be chief advisor to the board and a mentor of one side? That’s definitely going to result in selection bias

 

[Rana]

Waqar, Misbah and Saqlain

The usual rubbish

 

[Rana]

Sarfaraz Mentor lol

Doing everything they can to give Rizwan breathing space

 

[mominsaigol]

Here they are

I got 2/5

How can Waqar Younis be chief advisor to the board and a mentor of one side? That’s definitely going to result in selection bias

What even is this? Champions cup?

 

[Rana]

What even is this? Champions cup?

PCB’s Championship

5 Teams!! 5 Teams!!! 5 Teams!!!

 

[mominsaigol]

PCB’s Booker T championship

5 Teams!! 5 Teams!!! 5 Teams!!!

Wait? So why are waqar younis, Sarfi and Malik here?

One is a chief advisor and the other 2 are still playing international cricket?

 

[Rana]

Misbah’s XI

1. Shafique
2. Haseebullah
3. Rizwan (c)
4. Fakhar (hahahahaahhahahahahahaha)

I can’t keep going after this

 

[Rana]

Wait? So why are waqar younis, Sarfi and Malik here?

One is a chief advisor and the other 2 are still playing international cricket?

I guess they couldn’t get the services of AB Devilliers, Dhoni, Kevin Pietersen and Ricky Ponting as they had anticipated

 

[Rana]

Saqlain’s champions squad:

1. Babar
2. Rizwan
3. Friendship
4. Fakhar (hahaahahahahahahaha)
5. Shadab
6. Unity
7. Humility
8. Piety
9. Eagle
10. Aggression
11. Maturity

 

[mominsaigol]

I guess they couldn’t get the services of AB Devilliers, Dhoni, Kevin Pietersen and Ricky Ponting as they had anticipated

Bro but sarfi is still playing and malik is well?

Like? How can they be mentors? And how can waqar be a mentor? He has a different job

 

[Rana]

Bro but sarfi is still playing and malik is well?

Like? How can they be mentors? And how can waqar be a mentor? He has a different job

Malik is done tbh. Sarfaraz should actually be playing Test cricket ahead of Babar at least

 

[mominsaigol]

Malik is done tbh. Sarfaraz should actually be playing Test cricket ahead of Babar at least

That's not the point? Malik has not announced retirement meaning he's still an international cricketer?

How are they mentors when they should be playing in those teams?

 

[Major]

Good news for anwar ali and sohail khan

 

[Rana]

That's not the point? Malik has not announced retirement meaning he's still an international cricketer?

How are they mentors when they should be playing in those teams?

Malik did kind of announce somewhere that he no longer has ambitions to play for Pakistan. He’s just going to pick up any league paycheque now if he gets offered one. This role might actually be a lucrative deal, too much for him to give up to play some useless T20 league

 

[Rana]

That's not the point? Malik has not announced retirement meaning he's still an international cricketer?

How are they mentors when they should be playing in those teams?

With Sarfaraz it’s a bit more complicated. I think the PCB hierarchy respect him and they know that if left alone as a player only, these guys making the cricketing decisions will just continue to screw Sarfaraz. They’ve pretty much given him a leadership role where he calls the shots and maybe realises why he himself doesn’t fit into certain formats.

 

[RidiculousMan]

Domestic Cricket has become an absolute 'Khichri'. So many tournaments, multiple FCs and List A Cricket. Same players featuring in all tournaments. Which tournament is important? Which will hold the highest standard of Cricket? Which is going to produce quality players Pakistan need? How is the board going to differentiate it that?

 

[Bewal Express]

So Naqvi uses IKs model and goes nuclear. In their desperation to prove the great man wrong, they have verified his idea that quality of opposition is more important than endless, pointless matches with nothing at stake. If anyone saw the shocking standards of cricket last year you will know exactly what I mean.

 

[Aami]

Boring.

 

[RyanRyan10]

What even is this? Champions cup?

after reading the name, I had assumed it was another grandpa league like the one they were playing in UK last month

 

[The Bald Eagle]

PCB unveils five Champions Cup team mentors

Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik and Waqar Younis were today confirmed as mentors of the five Champions Cup sides on three-year contracts following a transparent and robust recruitment process. Names of their sides and squads will be confirmed in due course.

The first assignment of the mentors in the PCB Domestic Cricket Season 2024-25 will be the Champions One-Day Cup, which will be held at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad from 12 to 29 September. Best of the best cricketers from the country will feature in the single-league competition that will also serve as the homecoming of men’s seniors’ competitive cricket in Faisalabad after nearly two years. The last domestic men’s 50-over match played at the Iqbal Stadium was in March 2022 between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The five Champions Cup side mentors have played 1,621 international matches between them, scoring a total of 32,780 runs and taking 1,503 wickets between them. Of the five, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik are two-time ICC Event winners, Misbah is a one-time ICC Event winner and ACC Asia Cup 2012 winning captain, while Saqlain and Waqar were members of the side that played in the 1999 World Cup final.

PCB Chair Mohsin Naqvi

“I am pleased to welcome five exceptional champions as mentors for the Champions Cup teams. These individuals bring a wealth of cricketing experience, knowledge and expertise, which, combined with their passion for the game we all love, will help the Pakistan Cricket Board identify, develop and nurture the next generation of cricketers across all formats. This initiative will not only benefit the Pakistan men's cricket team but also help bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket.

“These five mentors will play a pivotal role in the development and progression of our emerging cricketers. They will guide strategic planning and team-building processes, while also providing support in leadership and personal development.

“The PCB is committed to strengthening Pakistan's cricket through a robust domestic structure that offers a clear and competitive pathway for all cricketers. The most talented and skilled players will advance through the ranks to represent Pakistan at the highest level.”

ABOUT THE MENTORS

Misbah-ul-Haq

• Pakistan’s most successful Test captain, who led his side to victories in 26 out of 56 Tests, including inspiring Pakistan to No.1 in the ICC Test Team Rankings in August 2016
• In 2014, equaled the then world record of fastest Test century by hitting a 56-ball 100 against Australia in Abu Dhabi
• Featured in two 50-over World Cups, three T20 World Cups and three ICC Champions Trophy events
• Was a member of the side that played the final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2007 and won the tournament two years later at Lord’s
• One of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year for 2017

Saqlain Mushtaq

• Is the fastest to 250 ODI wickets and took most ODI wickets in a calendar year
• Is second on the list of most consecutive five-wickets in an ODI innings
• Took two hat-tricks in ODIs, including one in a World Cup
• Is the inventor of ‘Doosra’
• Played in three World Cups and two Champions Trophy events

Sarfaraz Ahmed

• Captained Pakistan to victories in the ICC U19 World Cup 2006 and ICC Champions Trophy 2017, was a member of the Pakistan side that won the ACC Asia Cup 2012
• Led Pakistan to No.1 in ICC T20I Team Rankings
• Holds the record for most dismissals in an ODI (all 6 catches)
• Only the second wicket-keeper to have captained his side in 50 or more ODIs; 17th on the ODI list of wicket-keepers with 2,000 runs and 100 dismissals
• Also played in two 50-over World Cups and one T20 World Cup

Shoaib Malik

• Played in 2007 and 2019 50-over World Cup; featured in six T20 World Cups, including captaining the side in the 2007 event; and, six Champions Trophy tournaments
• Is 33rd on the list of ODI players with 1,000 runs, 50 wickets and 50 catches
• Holds the record for one of the longest international careers, spanning over 19 years and 245 days
• Has appeared in 35 Tests, 287 ODIs and 124 T20Is in which he has scored 11,867 runs and taken 218 wickets
• He is considered as one of the most sought after and busiest cricketers in franchise cricket

Waqar Younis

• Played in three 50-over World Cups
• Holds the record for fastest to 400 ODI wickets
• Leads the list of captains with best ODI bowling figure
• Is one of the bowlers to dismiss all 11 batters in a Test match
• Coached Pakistan in the 2010 and 2016 T20 World Cups and 2015 World Cup, while last served Pakistan as bowling coach from 2019-2021

 

[u0sama]

The 6 teams tournament used to held in IK was already better, it had second eleven also. In future that 6 teams had provincial tournamnets also for relo katta players of departments, but it was detroyed.Matches used to be in HD quality in youtube. it was started bringing professionalism, Northern used to play bazzball had fanastics players which will now not get chances. Every team used to play 10 test, odi, t20 it was far better system, sponsor also interested in them. They have now back to pentangular but it will not work.

 

[CleverSir]

The 6 teams tournament used to held in IK was already better, it had second eleven also. In future that 6 teams had provincial tournamnets also for relo katta players of departments, but it was detroyed.Matches used to be in HD quality in youtube. it was started bringing professionalism, Northern used to play bazzball had fanastics players which will now not get chances. Every team used to play 10 test, odi, t20 it was far better system, sponsor also interested in them. They have now back to pentangular but it will not work.

Literally they could’ve just changed the names of those teams to what made them feel better but let the system continue and we’d be in a better place. Maybe even add 1-2 more teams. But egos had to be first priority.

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

Waqar, Misbah and Saqlain

The usual rubbish

Everyone will learn kudrat ki nizam strategy

 

[u0sama]

India play many teams in domestic but they have population of over 1.4 billion and have budget to give domestic players crore salary with academies. Pak have same budget like smaller board, so at max First class level there shoudnt be more than 8 teams. Relo katta players should only play in district system, no place for them to play domestic.

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

Another venture to siphon money and ex cricketers will lap this up if they are employed..

 

[ask_analyse_act]

This is a good move to introduce more 4 day cricket and one day cups instead of T20s.. Any rookie can become a batter or bowler in T20s but its 4 overs for a bowler and 20-30 runs for a batter with couple of sixers to become famous..

Those rookies cant score runs or take wickets for TEST or ODI cricket..

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Waqar Younis in a press conference today shed light on importance of Champions Cup for Pakistan cricket:

It is a great opportunity for mentors and the board to observe the cricket from the grassroot level and fix the issues within the domestic cricket. Also, it is an exciting time and opportunity for myself and the cricket board to better the situation of cricket in Pakistan and help players better prepare for challenges at the international level.

What special goal do you aim to achieve with this new role?

"The issues at the upper (international) level are too glaring for Pakistan Cricket, which has been deteriorating for some time now. This role is different from my role at the international level, as this one pertains to domestic cricket. The issues that we face on the international level, like fitness, the fear of failure, and lack of confidence, need to be tackled at the domestic level. As I said before, when our players come to play at the international level, they do have these deficiencies. So as a mentor, it is my and other mentors responsibility to fix these issues at the domestic level."

How will you fix issues pertaining to Pakistan bowlers inability to take wickets with old balls?

"We would definitely work on that, and that is why we are here in the first place. Here we have players from Pakistan Under 19, Shaheen group, and some senior players too, so they could guide the juniors too. So we have a blend of players. Pakistan has been facing issues, whether in the spin or pace department, both with old and new balls. So I won't talk about this much, but I would say this (Champions Cup) is a great opportunity. As before, you had high-profile coaches only at the international level but not in the domestic arena. So the pathway that is emerging for international cricket now is to go from first class to Champions Cup, from there to Shaheen tours, and then they would enter international cricket. So to work and play under experienced coaches will help them sort out their issues here before heading into international cricket."


Can the Champions Cup help Pakistan discover the winning combination for PCT?

"It would be very difficult to suggest that this (Champions) cup will instantly bring results for you. So when you do suffer from an illness, then it takes time to cure it. I feel this would be a time-consuming process, but eventually this would fix the issues with our cricket that we all witness day in and day out. We shall here assess all the issues with our cricket, like fielding issues, fitness issues, captaincy issues, and all related stuff."

"Pakistan cricket history has been rich when it comes to fast bowlers. I would say currently we are facing a temporary downfall, and that occurs to every team. So Pakistan is no exception here. I think this is the main role of mentors to polish the talent at the domestic level by inspiring them so they don't face such issues at the international level, and we have facilities and proper centers too for their such training. Besides, we really need to work on their psychological health."

 

[Savak]

According to a few sports reporters, the mentors have refused to dedicate themselves to the High Performance Centres 365/24/7 even though they are being paid $18,000 a month for 3 years.

Misbah will be taking time out for his charity activities and will also be playing T-10 leagues wherever he can. Saqlain has commercial business activities he is heavily involved in his spare time in the Islamabad, Pindi area and Waqar doesn't want to be away from his family in Lahore, Australia for too long. Sarfaraz will still be playing domestic cricket and Malik will want to play as many T-20 leagues as he can.

I am finding it very bizzare that the PCB chose individuals who could not dedicate their entire time to this role. Either these mentors take a pay cut or they dedicate all their time to the role.

For this price, surely the PCB could have tried to opt for some foreign coaches to take over as Directors of these teams.

 

[Shaka81]

It's October 19, and there's still no clarity on Quaid-e-Azam 2024-25 schedule

What a total shambles!

 

[Nasty Naz]

Jokes that there is zero regard for its main FC tournament. Chairman probably ended up blowing most of its budget with the champion's cup and the beyond absurd monthly payday for the five mentors.

 

[khyberlion]

Jokes that there is zero regard for its main FC tournament. Chairman probably ended up blowing most of its budget with the champion's cup and the beyond absurd monthly payday for the five mentors.

So FC is starting today and yet there is no information what so ever. Awful from PCB, which is a norm unfortunately.