LAHORE: The 10-team National T20 will be staged at the Imran Khan Cricket Stadium in Peshawar from 7 to 18 March, but its scheduling has exposed yet another failure of planning in Pakistan’s domestic cricket structure.

For the first time, the tournament is being held during Ramadan, after the Pakistan Super League Player Auction, and after the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. It will also overlap with Pakistan men’s tour of Bangladesh for three One-Day Internationals.

In such a window, it is difficult to identify any serious strategic value for Pakistan cricket, its senior players, or its emerging talent.

Traditionally, the National T20 has had a defined and useful place in the domestic calendar. It has served as a stage for established and emerging cricketers to showcase their credentials ahead of the PSL player-selection process, while also providing a competitive lead-in to ICC Men’s T20 World Cups.

That purpose was evident in earlier editions.

In 2021, the six-team regional National T20 was held from 23 September to 13 October, just before the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which ran from 23 October to 14 November. Pakistan reached the semi-finals before losing to Australia.

In 2022, the six-team regional National T20 Cup was played from 29 August to 19 September, with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia following from 15 October to 13 November. Pakistan went on to reach the final, where they lost to England in Melbourne.

In 2023, the 18-team National T20 was staged from 23 November to 10 December, ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and West Indies, which was held from 1 to 29 June 2024. Between the two events, the PSL was played from 11 April to 23 May.

Against that backdrop, this year’s scheduling looks misguided.

The ICC had announced the dates for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 well in advance, while PSL management had also indicated that the 2026 edition would be held in March-April. Despite that clarity, the PCB Domestic Department staged the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in the final quarter of 2025 and the President’s Trophy in the opening quarter of 2026, leaving the National T20 to be pushed into an awkward, low-value slot.

The consequences are obvious.

Pakistan’s players were left without ideal T20 match practice before the World Cup, while emerging cricketers lost an important opportunity to push their case before franchise owners ahead of the PSL process. For a tournament that once served both development and preparation, this edition appears to have been stripped of much of its relevance.

If the timing reflects poor judgement, the build-up has only reinforced that impression.

According to media reports, the tournament has already run into logistical and organisational problems. Broadcasters and teams were reportedly moved between Rawalpindi and Multan before eventually being told to travel to Peshawar, underlining the lack of coordination.

Even the venue has come under scrutiny. Pakistan Super League Chief Executive Salman Naseer has stated that the “Peshawar venue was not fully prepared to host matches due to some technical issues, including some related to the ground”. In that context, the decision to stage a national tournament there looks even more difficult to defend.

Despite these concerns, the competition will proceed with 10 regional teams split into two groups. Group A comprises Lahore Whites, Peshawar, Faisalabad, Karachi Whites and Bahawalpur, while Group B features defending champions Lahore Blues, Sialkot, Multan, Abbottabad and Karachi Blues. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.

All Pakistan men’s team players who featured in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, but are not part of the ODI squad for the Bangladesh tour, have been named in their regional sides.

Babar Azam and Naseem Shah will represent Lahore Whites, Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan have been included in the Abbottabad squad, Karachi Whites will feature Saim Ayub and Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz and Usman Tariq will represent Peshawar, and Usman Khan will appear for Karachi Blues.

Two matches will be played each day, with the first starting at 4.15pm PKT and the second at 9.15pm PKT. The final is scheduled for 8pm PKT.

Saturday’s fixtures:

7 March – Lahore Whites v Peshawar (4.15pm); Faisalabad v Karachi Whites (9.15pm)