Multan Cricket Stadium. Photo: BBC Urdu (CC BY 3.0)
The Pakistan Cricket Board has launched a new one-day tournament, the National Champions Cup, as part of its buildup to the 2027 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup.
The event will feature four teams playing seven matches from August 11 to 18 at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
A single round-robin phase will be followed by a final, with the participating sides named Pakistan Gold, Pakistan Greens, Pakistan Whites and Pakistan Blues.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan have been named captains of the four teams, selected by the national selection committee.
The tournament aims to help gauge the depth of Pakistan’s one-day talent ahead of the World Cup.
It is part of a broader revamp of the domestic cricket calendar for 2026-27, which includes an expansion of regional teams and changes to the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
(Image: BBC Urdu (CC BY 3.0))
