Departmental tournaments will begin in September with first-class, List A and Grade Two competitions under the promotion and relegation system.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially announced the schedule for the 2026-27 domestic departmental cricket season, confirming that the campaign will begin in August while departmental tournaments are set to commence in September.
The upcoming season marks a significant shift in the domestic calendar, as departmental competitions will now start much earlier than in previous years.
Traditionally held in December and January, these tournaments have been moved to September to ensure a more structured and competitive domestic schedule.
According to the PCB, the 2026-27 departmental season will feature three major competitions. These include the prestigious President’s Trophy Grade One, a four-day first-class tournament, the President’s Cup, a List A one-day competition, and the President’s Trophy Grade Two, which will be played as a three-day event across Gold and Silver categories.
The cricket board believes that the revised schedule will strengthen Pakistan’s domestic cricket structure by providing departments with greater opportunities to contribute to player development. The PCB also highlighted that departmental participation will help create more stable financial opportunities for cricketers while enhancing the overall standard of competition.
In addition, the President’s Cup will play a vital role in Pakistan’s preparations for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027. The one-day tournament is expected to offer players valuable match practice and allow selectors to monitor performances ahead of the global event.
The PCB has also retained its promotion and relegation system to maintain competitiveness across all departmental tournaments. Under this structure, team rankings will determine movement between divisions based on season performances.
As per the announced regulations, the team finishing at the bottom of the President’s Trophy Grade One standings will be relegated to President’s Trophy Grade Two Gold for the following season. Likewise, top-performing teams from Grade Two will have the opportunity to earn promotion, ensuring that consistent performances are rewarded.
By introducing an earlier start date and maintaining a performance-based grading system, the PCB aims to further improve the quality of domestic departmental cricket while providing a sustainable pathway for players to progress to higher levels of the game.
The revamped calendar is expected to deliver a more competitive and professionally managed domestic season throughout 2026-27.
