The Regional Inter-District Senior tournament for the year 2023-2024 is all set to kick off on Sunday, July 16, 2023. A total of 104 sides from 101 districts/zones will be participating in this exciting event.
The tournament holds great significance as it provides an opportunity for the top performers to secure their places in the major domestic events organized by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), scheduled to start in September.
With matches taking place across the country, a total of 259 games will be played. The action will begin in various regions such as Abbottabad, AJK, Bahawalpur, Dera Murad Jamali, FATA, Hyderabad, Karachi, Larkana, Quetta, and Sialkot from July 16, 2023. Multan will host matches from July 19, while Faisalabad, Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, and Rawalpindi will witness games from July 24.
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Each match will span three days, with the first innings limited to 75 overs per side. The teams will earn nine points for an outright win with a first innings lead, six points for a win without a first innings lead, and three points for obtaining the first innings lead in a drawn match.
To provide equal opportunities for all players and showcase their talents, the tournament regulations permit each team to make a maximum of two changes in their playing line-ups but only after every two matches. This rule aims to give players a fair chance to prove themselves and maximize the opportunity for various individuals to compete for places in the regional squads.
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Considering that Quetta and FATA Regions consist of 10 districts each, the teams have been divided into two groups. The final match is scheduled to take place from August 7-9. In the other 14 regions, matches will be played in a single-league format, and the team finishing at the top of the table will be declared the winner.
The 16 regions participating in the tournament include Abbottabad (seven districts), AJK (five districts), Bahawalpur (seven districts), Dera Murad Jamali (five districts), Faisalabad (six districts), FATA (10 districts), Hyderabad (seven districts), Islamabad (four zones and one district), Karachi (seven zones), Lahore (three zones; six teams), Larkana (six districts), Multan (seven districts), Peshawar (five districts), Quetta (10 districts), Rawalpindi (four districts), and Sialkot (seven districts).
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The selection of the 104 squads was based on a carefully designed criteria agreed upon by representatives from all the districts. The regional and district selection committees, consisting of head/assistant coaches and district representatives, prepared initial drafts of their respective squads.
These drafts were then assessed and approved by the PCB Review Panel, which includes esteemed former first-class cricketers Javed Hayat, Kamran Khan, Sanaullah Baloch, and Waqar Orakzai.
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