Pakistan board unveils domestic plans

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced its domestic schedule for the 2007-08 season with the commitment to support and prioritise the game at the domestic level. While drafting the schedule, the board highlighted the need to ensure greater participation of senior players despite the packed international season.

The board has also changed the format for the season, whereby departmental and regional teams will play together in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. Top Under-19 players will also be given a chance to play at the first-class level in this new format.

In the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, between October 20 and January 5, 13 regional teams and nine departmental teams will take part. The 22 teams will be divided into two groups and 111 matches will be played. The Quaid-e-Azam Cup one-day championship, to be held between March 15 and 29, will feature 22 teams and 53 matches.

The Twenty20 Cup will be played from January 8 to 14 next year, in which 22 teams will compete in a total of 28 matches. Five teams will compete in the first-class Pentangular Cup to commence on February 10 and a total of 10 matches will be played, with the tournament ending on March 9.

The Patron's Trophy Grade-II will begin on April 1 and end on the 30th, with 22 teams competing in 53 matches. Thirteen teams are already playing in the Inter-Region U-19 one-day and three-day competitions, set to conclude on November 8.

The Inter-Region U-23 three-day championship will commence on November 11 and end on December 14, with 11 teams taking part in a total of 28 matches. In the newly-introduced U-23 tournament, five U-19 players will be included in each team.