Pakistan will commence their ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 preparations in Multan when the four-team National Champions Cup will be held from 11-18 August. During the eight-team event, seven matches will be played and each match will start at 3:00pm (PST).

Country’s best 48 cricketers, outside the 17 currently in England on red-ball duty, will assemble in the Southern Punjab capital with an aim to produce impressive performances and be in frame for call-ups for ODI cricket in the 2026-27 season and then secure places for the tours to Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe In October 2027. The National Champions Cup will also kick-start the PCB Domestic Cricket Season 2026-27, in which the PCB has scheduled the President’s One-Day Cup as the only other List-A series, making this as one of the two opportunities for cricketers striving to represent Pakistan in the ICC’s pinnacle 50-over competition.

The 48 players have been equally divided into four sides. On the opening day, Pakistan Greens and Pakistan Whites, to be captained by Shadab Khan and Saim Ayub, respectively, will go head to head. On the following day, Pakistan Gold and Pakistan Blues, which will be captained by Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sahibzada Farhan, will go toe to toe.

In addition to the 48 cricketers, who have been equally divided into four sides, the selectors have also named 12 players in the reserve pool. These players will be drafted into the side as needed. This, unfortunately, effectively rules them out of places in the World Cup squad, barring any miraculous performances in any other format during the 2026-27 season or unexpected events.

Although the PCB has not clearly communicated the objective of this National Champions Cup in August, 13 months before the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, it can be assumed that the selectors want to finalise a group of around 25 50-over cricketers so that they can rotate or use them in ODIs in the lead up to the World Cup as part of their event preparations.

Details of Pakistan’s ODI cricket in the 2026-27 season have not been released but there are reports that Pakistan will host two ODI triangular series, participate in the ACC Asia Cup 50-Over Tournament in Bangladesh and travel to England for five ODIs.

The National Champions Cup will return to the domestic circuit after previously making an appearance in Faisalabad in September 2024. In 2025-26, no 50-over competition for the regions was held, though the PCB organised President Cup one-day for the eight department sides. PTV beat KRL by four wickets in the final in Karachi.

In September 2024, five sides – Stallions, Dolphins, Panthers, Lions and Markhors – had featured in the Champions One-Day Cup that was held on a single league basis. This year, team names have been changed, one side has been reduced but Misbah-ul-Haq remains involved as Pakistan Gold coach after serving as the Mentor of Markhor in 2024.

In 2024, the key red-ball players were withdrawn before the knock-out matches so that they could prepare for the Bangladesh Test.

Two years ago, Usman Khan, now in Pakistan Whites, was the top scorer with 272 runs in six matches, followed by Kamran Ghulam (250 runs in six matches) and Babar Azam (230 in five matches). Mohammad Hasnain, now in Pakistan Greens, was the leading wicket-taker with 17 wickets, followed by Jahandad Khan, Zahid Mehmood and Ahmed Daniyal (10 wickets apiece).

Unfortunately, Zahid and Ahmed have failed to break into the 60 cricketers who will be in Multan later this week.

SQUADS (to be selected from):

Pakistan Greens: Shadab Khan (captain), Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Farhan Yousuf, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saad Baig (wicket-keeper) and Sameer Minhas. Ijaz Ahmed Jnr (head coach)

Pakistan Whites: Saim Ayub (captain), Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Khushdil Shah, Mohsin Riaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Saad Masood, Shahzaib Khan and Usman Khan (wicket-keeper). Iqbal Imam (head coach)

Pakistan Blues: Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Hasan Ali, Hussain Talat, Jahandad Khan, Rohail Nazir (wicket-keeper), Shamyl Hussain, Sufyan Moqim, Taimur Khan (wicket-keeper) and Tayyab Tahir. Aizaz Cheema (head coach)

Pakistan Gold: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abdul Samad, Abdul Subhan, Faisal Akram, Haider Ali, Kamran Ghulam, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Nawaz, Muhammad Akhlaq (wicket-keeper), Muhammad Imran and Saad Khan. Misbah-ul-Haq (head coach).

Reserve pool:

Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Faiq, Muhammad Irfan Khan (all batters), Mubasir Khan, Danish Aziz (both all-rounders), Arshad Iqbal, Muhammad Salman, Razaullah, Saqib Khan, Mohammad Amir Khan, Shahnawaz Dahani (all fast bowlers) and Haseebullah (wicketkeeper).

Tournament schedule: (All matches at Multan Cricket Stadium; matches to begin at 3:00pm)

11 August – Pakistan Greens v Pakistan Whites

12 August – Pakistan Blues v Pakistan Gold

13 August – Pakistan Blues v Pakistan Whites

14 August – Pakistan Gold v Pakistan Greens

15 August – Pakistan Blues v Pakistan Greens

16 August – Pakistan Gold v Pakistan Whites

18 August – Final (Top two teams)