PCB Plans Three New Domestic Tournaments to Bridge Quality Gap

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning to introduce three new domestic tournaments, one for each format of the game, starting next season. The aim is to bridge the gap between the standard of domestic cricket and international cricket.

The tournaments, called Pentangular, will feature the top 150 players in the country, divided into five teams. Each tournament will be played in addition to the existing tournament in the format, creating an elite layer of competition.

The PCB's research has shown a significant gap between the quality of domestic and international cricket in Pakistan. The new tournaments are designed to address this issue by providing more opportunities for the country's best players to compete against each other.

The tournaments will not be franchised out but will be owned and operated by the PCB. The five teams will be newly created entities with their own management and coaching set-ups. The tournaments are likely to be played on a double league basis.

Selection for the teams will be done in part by the PCB's selection committee, who will distribute a set number of players across the teams, while the rest of the roster will be picked by the team's managements.

Pentangular tournaments are not new to Pakistan domestic cricket, but they are being pitched with a new purpose. The PCB believes that they will create a bridge between domestic and international cricket, reducing the quality gap.

One of the benefits of the new tournaments is that they will provide more first-class games for the best players. In recent years, players have finished the first-class season by December, leaving a significant gap before Pakistan's next Test series. The Pentangular tournaments will offer the opportunity for players to continue playing first-class cricket during this period.

However, the PCB faces challenges in scheduling the new tournaments. Pakistan's domestic season is already packed with two first-class tournaments, a one-day cup, a T20 tournament, and the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Next season is particularly busy with international commitments, including Tests against Bangladesh and England, an ODI tri-series, and the Champions Trophy.

The PCB may need to expand the domestic season into May to accommodate the new tournaments. It will also need to upgrade stadium facilities around the country to host more matches.

Despite the challenges, the PCB is determined to introduce the new tournaments. It believes that they will significantly improve the quality of domestic cricket in Pakistan and help to produce better players for the international team.

Tags: #PCB, #DomesticCricket, #PentangularTournaments, #QualityGap, #EliteCompetition