PCB unveils squads and schedule for Champions Cup

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the squads and schedule for the National Champions Cup 2026, with

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the squads and schedule for the National Champions Cup 2026, with the tournament set to launch Pakistan’s 2026-27 domestic cricket season in Multan next month.

The seven-match 50-over List A competition will be played from August 11 to 18 at Multan Cricket Stadium. All matches will be day-night fixtures and are scheduled to begin at 3pm local time.

Four teams — Pakistan Greens, Pakistan Whites, Pakistan Blues and Pakistan Gold — will compete in the tournament. The teams will play each other once in a single round-robin format, with the top two sides advancing to the final on August 18.

The PCB has also announced fixed playing XIs for all four teams. Reserve players will only be allowed to enter the playing XI in case of injury or concussion. The reserves will remain with their respective squads during training and match days.

The tournament will feature several prominent Pakistan players in leadership roles. Shadab Khan will captain Pakistan Greens, Saim Ayub will lead Pakistan Whites, Sahibzada Farhan will captain Pakistan Blues, while Shaheen Shah Afridi will lead Pakistan Gold.

Pakistan Greens include experienced names such as Fakhar Zaman, Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah and Mohammad Hasnain alongside emerging players.

Saim Ayub’s Pakistan Whites feature Haris Rauf, Khushdil Shah and Mohammad Wasim Jr, while Sahibzada Farhan’s Pakistan Blues include Abdullah Shafique, Hasan Ali, Arafat Minhas and Hussain Talat.

Shaheen Shah Afridi’s Pakistan Gold side includes Haider Ali, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Nawaz and Faisal Akram.

The PCB has selected a 44-player squad and reserve pool as part of its preparations for the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. The domestic tournament is expected to provide selectors with an opportunity to assess players and identify emerging talent ahead of the global event.

The reserve pool includes batters Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Faiq and Muhammad Irfan Khan. All-rounders Mubasir Khan and Danish Aziz are also included, along with pacers such as Arshad Iqbal, Shahnawaz Dahani and Mohammad Amir Khan. Haseebullah has been named as the reserve wicketkeeper.

The tournament will begin on August 11 with Pakistan Greens facing Pakistan Whites. Pakistan Blues will meet Pakistan Gold on August 12, followed by Blues against Whites on August 13. Gold will take on Greens on August 14, while Blues and Greens will meet on August 15. Gold will face Whites on August 16.