Domestic season 2025-26: PCB introduces three-tier departmental cricket structure

LAHORE: In a historic first, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has introduced a three-tier Departmental Cricket structure in the Domestic cricket season 2025-26, which is set to begin in August and will conclude in May 2026.

Over 40 departments from the length and breadth of the country have been divided into three tiers – Grade-I, II and III with one First-class, one List-A, one three-day and one two-day matches competition slated to take place across the season.

Earlier, there were only two tiers but to make the departmental cricket more competitive and relegation promotion oriented, Grade-III will be introduced in this season, where the teams will compete in a two-day matches competition in March and April 2026.

Teams for the Grade-III tournament have been determined based on points table standings in the 2024-25 President’s Trophy Grade-II tournament. The top two teams in Grade-III will qualify for the next season’s Grade-II, while the bottom two teams of the Grade-II will be relegated to the third tier.

A total of 12 teams have qualified for the President’s Trophy Grade-II based on their points in the previous iteration of the tournament, while they will be joined by the two relegated teams from the Grade-I competition to form the 14-team tournament.

The G-II teams include Ahmed Glass, Ghani Institute, JDW Sugar Mills, Kingsmen, MIT Solutions, PAF, PHA Rawalpindi, Port Qasim, Railways, Sardar Group, Vital Tea, Wing 999 Sports, HEC (relegated) and Eshaal Associates (relegated).

The 14-team President’s Trophy Grade-II comprising of three-day matches is slated to take place from March to May 2026, where winner will have the opportunity to go one step ahead and qualify for the first-class and List-A departmental tournament for the next season. In the next season the PCB intends to add a 50-over competition for Grade-II teams as well.

The first departmental tournament in the upcoming domestic season is the 50-over President’s Cup which is set to take place right after the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in November and December. The tournament will consist of 31 List-A matches.

The participating teams are Ghani Glass, Khan Research Laboratories, Oil and Gas Development Company Limited, Pakistan Television, Sahir Associates, State Bank of Pakistan, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited, and Water and Power Development Authority.

Right after the one-day tournament, the same eight departments will compete in the 29-match first-class competition – President’s Trophy, which will conclude in January 2026. The bottom two teams will be relegated paving the way for the winners of the Grade-II tournament hence creating a highly competitive top to bottom departmental cricket structure.

Apart from the men’s domestic game, some of the departments are also expected to assemble their women’s teams in the coming months in order to strengthen the women’s domestic structure as well. The details will be shared in due course.

Director Domestic Cricket Operations, Abdullah Khurram Niazi said, “The departmental cricket has become the bedrock of our domestic cricket season for the third year straight.

The PCB is proud and highly appreciates the efforts of more than 40 departments in helping Pakistan cricket grow by investing in talent and taking part in the domestic cricket season.

We have incentivised the departmental cricket by dividing it into three tiers and creating a highly competitive structure for all the teams, which will surely lead to enhancing the quality of our domestic cricket.”

Niazi said, “I eagerly look forward to seeing more than 400 players deservingly taking part in our domestic season representing various departments as we strive for the betterment and growth of cricket on the domestic front.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025