The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has unveiled its 2025–26 domestic cricket calendar, placing a strong emphasis on merit-based selection and competitiveness across all formats. The season will be headlined by a newly formatted eight-team Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, scheduled from 22 September to 7 November 2025.
Quaid-e-Azam Trophy gets qualifying mechanism to enhance competitiveness
The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan’s premier first-class tournament, will now feature only the most in-form sides. Two teams will qualify through the Hanif Mohammad Trophy, which kicks off the season on 15 August with 12 regional sides competing in a non-first-class, four-day format.
The eight teams in the 2025 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy include: Lahore Region Whites, Sialkot, Peshawar, Islamabad, Abbottabad, Bahawalpur and the two top teams from the Hanif Mohammad Trophy.
New qualification format introduced for National T20
The National T20 will follow a new two-stage structure. Ten teams will compete in a qualifier round from 3 to 11 February 2026. The top two will join eight automatically qualified teams for the Super 10 stage held in Faisalabad from 1 to 12 March.
Automatic Super 10 qualifiers include: Karachi Region Whites, Lahore Region Whites, Peshawar, Karachi Region Blues, Sialkot, Islamabad, Faisalabad and one more to be confirmed.
Comprehensive domestic structure to foster talent development
The season also includes a full suite of age-group and departmental tournaments, spanning from Under-15 to senior-level competitions. Four departmental events return: the President’s Trophy (first-class), President’s Cup (One-Day), President’s Trophy Grade II and III.
“The 2025–26 season has been designed to provide a clear pathway based on performance, not reputation,” said PCB COO Sumair Ahmed Syed. “Every match will carry weight, fostering a high-performance culture.”
“By aligning tournaments from grassroots to senior formats, we’re building a unified development pipeline,” added Director Domestic Cricket Operations Abdullah Khurram Niazi.
Key 2025–26 domestic tournaments and dates
- Hanif Mohammad Trophy: 15 Aug – 17 Sep 2025 (12 teams, 31 matches)
- National U19 Cup: 1 – 16 Sep 2025 (18 teams)
- Quaid-e-Azam Trophy: 22 Sep – 7 Nov 2025 (8 teams, 29 matches)
- Challenge League (Two-Day): 1 Oct – 10 Nov 2025
- President’s Cup (One-Day): 24 Nov – 10 Dec 2025
- President’s Trophy (First-Class): 15 Dec 2025 – 30 Jan 2026
- National T20 Qualifier: 3 – 11 Feb 2026 (10 teams)
- National T20 Super 10: 1 – 12 Mar 2026 (10 teams)
- National U17 Cup: 28 Mar – 12 Apr 2026
- National U15 Cup: 16 Apr – 1 May 2026
- President’s Trophy Grade II: 28 Mar – 3 May 2026
- President’s Trophy Grade III: 28 Mar – 23 Apr 2026
- Regional Inter-District U19: 28 Mar – 10 Apr 2026
- Regional Inter-District Senior: 10 May – 10 Jun 2026
- Club, School, College & University Cricket: Nov 2025 – Jun 2026
The PCB’s 2025–26 domestic calendar reflects a commitment to merit-based selection, age-group development, and high-intensity competitive cricket across Pakistan.
