PCB Announces Domestic Cricket Calendar for 2025-26

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) revealed its domestic cricket schedule for the 2025–26 season on Monday, emphasizing a structure designed to be more competitive and focused on rewarding performance.

The season’s highlight will be a significantly revised Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan’s premier first-class competition, featuring eight teams, with the first match scheduled for September 22.

The domestic season will commence with the Hanif Mohammad Trophy on August 15, 2025, taking place in Karachi, Multan, Bahawalpur, and Rahim Yar Khan.

Twelve regional teams have been divided into two groups for the competition, which includes 31 matches. The top two teams will secure a spot in this year’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, ensuring selection is based on performance.

The regional teams participating in the Hanif Mohammad Trophy are the same ones that were part of the previous Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

These teams are Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, FATA, Lahore Region Blues, Hyderabad, Karachi Region Blues, Karachi Region Whites, Multan, Quetta, D.M. Jamali, AJK, and Larkana.

The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy will feature Lahore Region Whites, Sialkot, Peshawar, Islamabad, Abbottabad, Bahawalpur, and the two qualifying teams from the Hanif Mohammad Trophy.

The tournament will adopt a single-league format, consisting of 29 matches, with the final set to be held from November 3-7.

Matches will be hosted at venues in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, with a detailed schedule and logistical information to be shared later.

The PCB has also implemented a qualifying stage for the National T20 Cup. Ten teams—Abbottabad, Multan, Quetta, Bahawalpur, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, FATA, Larkana, D.M. Jamali, and AJK—will compete in the qualifying round.

Divided into two pools, the leading two teams will advance to the National T20 Super 10 tournament, which will occur in Faisalabad from March 1-12.

Eight teams have already earned automatic qualification for the Super 10 stage due to their previous performances and rankings. These include Karachi Region Whites, Lahore Region Whites, Peshawar, Karachi Region Blues, Sialkot, Islamabad, and Faisalabad.

The domestic season will also encompass four departmental tournaments: the President’s Trophy (first-class), President’s Cup (one-day), and the Grade II and Grade III editions of the President’s Trophy.

Men’s domestic tournaments’ tentative schedule as per PCB.