Domestic cricket season 2026-27 to begin in August

LAHORE: The domestic cricket season 2026-27 is set to begin in August, while the departmental cricket tournaments in this iteration are set to kick off in September as opposed to the December-January start in the previous two seasons. As per announcement of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the departmental cricket tournaments include the four-day first-class President’s Trophy Grade-I, List A President’s Cup and the three-day President’s Trophy Grade-II Gold and Silver tournaments. The eight-team President’s Trophy and Cup will be of critical importance in the coming domestic season with the PCB set to work closely with the departmental teams on a number of fronts to ensure high competition, player development and creating stable and transparent revenue streams for the domestic players. The eight-team President’s Cup One-Day tournament will be in the spotlight due to the focus on preparation for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027. The PCB will also work with the departments across the four tournaments to maintain best possible standards of fitness as well, comprising pre-season fitness tests for selection of players. In order to maximise the playing opportunities for centrally contracted and national pool players, the Guest Player concept will also be introduced for the upcoming departmental cricket season. The finalists of the President’s Trophy Grade-II Silver, which recently concluded in Faisalabad, are set to be promoted to the Gold tournament, while the bottom two teams of the Gold tier will be relegated. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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