KARACHI: In a bid to achieve PSL-type success, Pakistan’s cricket chiefs have renamed the country’s premier 50-over domestic tournament and are hoping that a series of changes will make it a hit with the fans.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Monday that the Pakistan Cup, previously known as the Pentangular Cup, will be played in Faisalabad from April 19-May 1.
It will feature most of the country’s top players representing five teams — Balochistan, ZIC Federal Capital, Boom Boom Bubblegum Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Cookania Cake Rusk Punjab and Inverex Sindh.
The tournament will feature the top 75 players of Pakistan with the captains and coaches picking the team from a player draft.
The PCB, in a statement, termed it as an unprecedented move. The Board must be hoping that the Pakistan Cup will be successful like the inaugural edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) T20 tournament which it hosted in the UAE in February this year.
According to the PCB, Balochistan will be led by Pakistan ODI captain Azhar Ali while Ijaz Ahmed and Taimur Azam will form the coaching panel.
Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq will captain the Federal side. Mansoor Rana and Sabih Azhar will form the coaching panel for the Federal team.
Former Pakistan skipper Younis Khan will lead Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Abdul Rehman and Kabir Khan forming the coaching panel.
Punjab will be captained by Shoaib Malik and Atiq uz Zaman will join Mautashim Rashid on the coaching panel. Pakistan T20 skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed will lead Sindh in the Pakistan Cup. Tauseef Ahmed and Iqbal Imam will be part of the coaching panel for Sindh.
“In an unprecedented move, the five captains and the coaches will be involved in selecting the teams through a Player Draft scheduled to take place tomorrow,” the PCB statement said.
“Around 150 players will be eligible for selection at the Draft. In order to provide top quality exposure to younger players, each team will be required to pick one regional U-19 cricketer,” it added.
Highlighting plans for the event, Chairman Executive Committee PCB Najam Sethi pointed out that the tournament will help revive fan engagement in domestic cricket.
“Our public loves cricket and we are trying to further elevate our product. There is greater involvement of senior cricketers with the Draft process in place. Players will also receive a 100% increase in remuneration and the support staff is very experienced. We are celebrating unity in diversity and I urge the fans to come and watch these matches in the stadium.”