‘Champions Cup can be arranged within four days on demand,’ says Domestic cricket chief

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) Director of Domestic Cricket Operations Abdullah Khurram Niazi on Saturday clarified the reasons behind discontinuing the domestic 'Champions Cup' tournament.

He assured that the National Cricket Academy (NCA) remains fully capable of organising a similar event at short notice, if required.

Speaking on the PCB Podcast, Niazi stated that the Champions Cup was designed exclusively for top-performing players from the domestic circuit, and such tournaments can still be arranged promptly when required by the NCA.

“If the NCA ever instructs us to organise a Champions Cup-style tournament for top performers, we’ll be able to arrange it within three to four days,” he said.

He added that the PCB’s player development framework is yielding results, as evidenced by the recent selection of several domestic players in the Pakistan Shaheens squad.

“Three to four players from the domestic circuit have made it into the Shaheens team and are currently being groomed at the NCA. Their selection highlights the strength of our development system,” Niazi noted. 

"Any future tournament requirements by the NCA will be fulfilled swiftly and efficiently.”

Khurram clarified that none of the mentors have been dismissed. Instead, they have been reassigned to new, more demanding roles within the PCB structure.

“The mentors haven’t been let go, they’re still with the PCB, now taking on redefined roles in our cricket academies,” he explained. 

“Their responsibilities have expanded to year-round work focused on enhancing players’ fitness, technique, and overall performance.”

Khurram further emphasised that the mentors are now tasked with working closely with young cricketers across both the off-season and competitive periods to help elevate their skills and ensure long-term growth.

“The mentors were always meant to stay connected with players and now they’ll be even more deeply involved in shaping their careers,” he concluded.

It is pertinent to mention that the PCB announced last week the scrapping of the Champions Cup, just a year after its launch as part of the domestic cricket revamp.

The competition will not be included in the 2025–26 domestic season. Introduced in 2024 with significant publicity, the Champions Cup was aimed at enhancing competitiveness in domestic cricket.

The PCB had appointed five former cricketers, Saqlain Mushtaq, Waqar Younis, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik, and Sarfaraz Ahmed as mentors for the five participating teams through a competitive and transparent process on August 26, 2024.

Former captain Shoaib Malik was the first to resign from his mentoring position, and his departure was soon followed by internal discussions regarding the potential exit of the remaining mentors as well.