PCB confirms four-team One-Day tournament for World Cup 2027 preparations

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that a four-team One-Day tournament will be held in August as part of its preparations for the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, which is set to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia from 4 October to 21 November 2027.

Director of High Performance, Aaqib Javed, said the competition would take place before the start of the domestic first-class season and is aimed at identifying a core pool of players for the global event, which is approximately 18 months away.

Javed stressed that preparations for the 2027 World Cup must begin immediately, with the tournament designed to assess Pakistan's white-ball talent in a competitive environment.

"We have around 18 months until the 2027 World Cup, so this is the right time to begin our preparations," Javed said.

He explained that the tournament had been jointly planned by the national selectors and coaching staff to create four evenly matched teams featuring all of Pakistan's leading white-ball players.

"The selectors and coaches sat together and designed this four-team tournament. Four balanced sides will be selected, and all white-ball players will take part," he said.

According to Javed, the selectors and coaches will also determine each team's playing XI based on the specific roles assigned to individual players, allowing them to evaluate combinations more effectively

"The playing XIs will be selected according to each player's role. This tournament will help us determine which group of players should form the core of our plans going forward," he added.

Javed noted that all matches would be televised, ensuring every player's performance could be closely monitored and making it easier for the management to identify the strongest squad for future assignments.

"Every match will be broadcast, everyone's performances will be visible, and that will make it easier for us to build the right player pool," he said.

The former Pakistan pacer also emphasised the importance of improving the national side's standing in the ODI rankings ahead of the World Cup.

"Pakistan's ODI team should be ranked among the top four in the world. Anything below that is unacceptable. We are determined to make significant progress in the rankings," Javed concluded.