Four teams led by top Pakistan stars will compete in the 50-over National Champions Cup at Multan Cricket Stadium from August 11 to 18.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially announced the squads and match schedule for the National Champions Cup 2026, a premier 50-over domestic tournament set to take place from August 11 to 18 at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
The competition will mark the start of Pakistan’s 2026-27 domestic cricket season and serve as a key platform for players preparing for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027.
The week-long List-A tournament will feature four teams—Pakistan Greens, Pakistan Whites, Pakistan Blues, and Pakistan Gold.
All seven matches, including the final, will be played as day-night fixtures, with the first ball scheduled to be bowled at 3:00 PM local time. Teams will compete in a single-league round-robin format, with the top two sides advancing to the final on August 18.
PCB has adopted a unique structure for the tournament by announcing fixed playing XIs for all participating teams.
In addition, a reserve pool of 13 players has been named, with replacements only allowed in the event of injuries or concussion-related issues. Reserve players will remain attached to teams during training sessions and match days.
The tournament will be led by four prominent captains, including Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Saim Ayub, and Sahibzada Farhan.
The selected 44 players, along with the reserve pool, have been chosen with a long-term focus on strengthening Pakistan’s white-ball setup ahead of the 2027 Cricket World Cup.
Speaking about the competition, Director High Performance and national selection committee member Aqib Javed said the tournament has been designed to provide high-quality 50-over match exposure to Pakistan’s leading cricketers.
He added that the squads were assembled according to players’ specialized roles in the one-day format and expressed confidence that fans would witness highly competitive cricket in Multan.
Pakistan Greens will be captained by Shadab Khan, while Saim Ayub will lead Pakistan Whites. Sahibzada Farhan has been appointed captain of Pakistan Blues, whereas Shaheen Shah Afridi will head Pakistan Gold.
Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq will coach Pakistan Gold, while experienced domestic coaches will guide the remaining teams.
The tournament begins on August 11 with Pakistan Greens taking on Pakistan Whites, while the championship match is scheduled for August 18 between the top two teams after the league stage concludes.
The event is expected to play a vital role in identifying and preparing talent for Pakistan’s future international assignments.