The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a significant enhancement to its domestic cricket structure with the introduction of three new Champions tournaments as part of the 2024-25 season. These tournaments aim to bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket, providing a competitive and high-pressure environment for emerging talent, and offering better earning opportunities for players.
Champions Tournaments
The new Champions tournaments include the Champions One-Day Cup, Champions T20 Cup, and Champions First-Class Cup. These will join existing events like the National T20 Cup, Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, President’s Trophy, President’s Cup, and the HBL Pakistan Super League 2025. The season will run from 1 September 2024 to 5 August 2025, featuring a total of 261 matches across eight men’s senior tournaments.
Increased Match Opportunities
The addition of these tournaments significantly increases the number of matches:
- First-Class Matches: 131 (up from 51 last season)
- 50-Over Matches: 40 (previously 55)
- T20 Matches: 90 (previously 97)
Development and Pathway Matches
In addition to the senior tournaments, the PCB will organize around 13,000 development and pathway matches across various levels, including schools, colleges, universities, clubs, and U15, U17, and U19 competitions. This extensive schedule aims to provide young cricketers with ample opportunities to showcase their skills and progress through the cricketing ranks.
Key Features of Champions Tournaments
- Teams: Five teams – Dolphins, Lions, Panthers, Stallions, and Wolves.
- Format: Each tournament will be played in a double-league format.
- Players: Around 150 top-performing domestic players and centrally contracted players will participate.
- Mentorship: Each team will have a former Pakistan superstar as a mentor and possibly as an owner.
- Support Staff: Teams will have a comprehensive support staff, including head coaches, specialized coaches, strength and conditioning coaches, physiotherapists, analysts, operations managers, and media managers.
- High Performance Centres: Teams will have access to dedicated Regional High Performance Centres for training and practice.
Enhanced Player Contracts and Match Fees
Players will receive enhanced domestic contracts, categorized as follows:
- 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
Match fees have also been significantly improved:
- Red-ball cricket: PKR 200,000
- 50-over matches: PKR 125,000
- T20 matches: PKR 100,000
Corporate and Media Partnerships
Each team will have a corporate sponsor and media partner. Additional revenue streams will include broadcast and live-streaming rights, event title sponsorship, ground branding rights, and ticket sales/merchandise.
Season Schedule
The Champions One-Day Cup will kick off the season from 1-29 September 2024, and the season will conclude with the Champions First-Class Cup from 28 May to 5 August 2025.
PCB Chair Mohsin Naqvi said
PCB Chair Mohsin Naqvi highlighted the importance of the new tournaments: “Our current standings do not reflect the true potential and legacy of Pakistan cricket. The introduction of the three Champions tournaments is a bold step towards restoring our rightful place at the top of world cricket. These tournaments will not only bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket but also revolutionize and rejuvenate our entire cricketing ecosystem.”
Naqvi emphasized the importance of creating a competitive environment that mirrors international cricket, providing players with the exposure and experience they need. He expressed optimism about the future of Pakistan cricket and the potential dividends from the investments being made through the Champions tournaments.
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