Pakistan Cricket Board Announces Three New Champions Tournaments to Elevate Domestic Cricket
Lahore, 5 August 2024: In a significant move to elevate domestic cricket and bridge the gap with international standards, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has unveiled three new Champions tournaments for the 2024-25 season. These tournaments aim to provide a more competitive and high-pressure environment for emerging cricketers while enhancing their earning opportunities.
The newly introduced Champions One-Day Cup, Champions T20 Cup, and Champions First-Class Cup will join the existing lineup of the National T20 Cup, Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, President’s Trophy, President’s Cup, and HBL Pakistan Super League 2025. The domestic season is scheduled to run from 1 September 2024 to 5 August 2025.
Expanding the Competitive Landscape
With the addition of the Champions tournaments, the PCB will organize a total of 261 matches across eight senior men’s tournaments. This includes:
- 131 first-class matches across three events.
- 40 50-over matches in two events.
- 97 T20 matches in three events.
In comparison, the 2023-24 season featured 203 matches across six tournaments, indicating a significant expansion in the domestic cricket calendar.
Key Features of the Champions Tournaments
- Team Composition and Format:
- Five teams: Dolphins, Lions, Panthers, Stallions, and Wolves will compete in each Champions Cup event.
- Each event will follow a double-league format.
- Approximately 150 top-performing domestic players from the past three years and centrally contracted players will be eligible for selection.
- Mentorship and Coaching:
- Each team will have a former Pakistan superstar as a mentor and potentially as an owner.
- Teams will include a robust support staff featuring a head coach (minimum Level 3, five years of first-class experience), specialized coaches, and other key personnel such as a Strength and Conditioning Coach, Physiotherapist, Analyst, Operations Manager, and Media/Digital Media Manager.
- Training Facilities:
- Teams will train at dedicated Regional High Performance Centres located in Faisalabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Sialkot.
- Enhanced Player Contracts:
- Enhanced domestic contracts for 150 cricketers will be categorized into three tiers:
- Category 1: 40 players, PKR 550,000 per month.
- Category 2: 50 players, PKR 400,000 per month.
- Category 3: 60 players, PKR 250,000 per month.
- Improved match fees will be PKR 200,000 for red-ball cricket, PKR 125,000 for 50-over matches, and PKR 100,000 for T20 matches.
- Sponsorship and Revenue:
- Each team will have a corporate sponsor and media partner.
- Additional revenue will be generated through broadcast and live-streaming rights, event title sponsorship, ground branding rights, and ticket sales/merchandise.
Transforming Domestic Cricket
“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,” stated a PCB spokesperson.
“These tournaments are not just about bridging the gap between domestic and international cricket; they are about revolutionizing and rejuvenating our entire cricketing ecosystem. By establishing a clear and progressive pathway from clubs, schools, and universities to intra-district, inter-district, and regional/department competitions, we are nurturing the next generation of cricketing stars.”
Future Prospects
“The Champions tournaments will offer our players a platform to experience the rigors and pressures of international cricket right here at home. This is crucial for building a robust and highly competitive domestic structure that consistently produces world-class talent,” the spokesperson added.
“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.”
The PCB’s bold initiative marks a new era for Pakistan cricket, promising a vibrant future for the sport by fostering homegrown talent and providing them with unparalleled opportunities to shine.
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