LAHORE: The upcoming 2023-24 domestic cricket to bring increased competition and higher-quality matches as eight regional sides and eight department teams gear up for separate first-class tournaments.
The new domestic structure, formed by the PCB Cricket Technical Committee, led by former captain Misbah ul Haq and Mohammad Hafeez, aims to ensure a level playing field for both regions and departments by utilizing the best available talent.
The men’s season is set to kick off on September 10 with the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, featuring top regional teams battling it out. Following this, the President’s Trophy will commence on December 15, where the top eight departments will participate. Both tournaments will adopt a single-league format, with the table-toppers progressing to the final.
Separate Domestic Cricket Structure
Out of the 18 regional sides, eight teams will partake in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, while the remaining 10 regions will engage in the Hanif Mohammad Trophy, a non-first-class four-day tournament.
The allocation of teams is based on their standings in the 2018-19 season, as per the directives of PCB’s Patron-in-chief, who is also Pakistan’s Prime Minister. This revival of the 2014 PCB Constitution has reintroduced the department to the domestic circuit, with both tournaments beginning concurrently.
The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy will be held from September 10 to October 26, with Abbottabad, Lahore, and Rawalpindi hosting a total of 29 matches. The Hanif Mohammad Trophy, featuring ten teams divided into two groups, will be played from September 10 to October 13, with matches hosted in Faisalabad, Islamabad, and Multan.
Teams competing in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy include Peshawar, Karachi Whites, Lahore Blues, Rawalpindi, FATA, Multan, Lahore Whites, and Faisalabad. For the Hanif Mohammad Trophy, ten teams are in contention: Abbottabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Bahawalpur, Dera Murad Jamali, Hyderabad, Karachi Blues, Larkana, Quetta, Sialkot, and Islamabad.
The historic departmental cricket model, which was previously discontinued in the 2019 PCB constitution, has made a significant return, with more than 40 teams registering for participation. Eight departments will partake in the President’s Trophy first-class tournament, featuring SNGPL, SSGC, WAPDA, KRL, PTV, NBP, and State Bank. The eighth team will be announced in due course. The tournament will run from November 1 to 18, featuring a single-league format with all 29 games held in Karachi.
In January and February of 2024, the Patron’s Trophy grade-II and grade-III tournaments will run concurrently across the country, offering three-day and two-day games, respectively.
Promotions and relegations will be based on performance, with teams winning the Hanif Mohammad Trophy, Patron’s Trophy grade-II, and grade-III earning promotions. Those finishing at the bottom of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, President’s Trophy, and Patron’s Trophy grade-II will face relegation.
Furthermore, each regional team must include at least one player under the age of 21 in their playing XI and a minimum of two such players in the 30-player squad, all of whom should have graduated from the PCB’s age-group program.
