The local List A competition has been called the Champions Cup by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in preparation for the 2027 Cricket World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Only two years have gone by since the original revamp, which made it a premier domestic tournament with some of the biggest names in the world and a bigger prize pool.
In the revised Champions Cup, four teams will compete in seven round-robin games before a final. The competition, which will be held at the Multan Cricket Stadium from August 11 to 18, will feature some of the best domestic players.
The four teams, named Pakistan Gold, Pakistan Greens, Pakistan Whites, and Pakistan Blues, will be led by Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Saim Ayub, and Sahibzada Farhan. However, several international stars will not compete due of their Test commitments.
The Champions Cup will be held concurrently with Pakistan’s three-match Test series against England, which starts on August 19. In addition to the red-ball team, Abrar Ahmed, who is currently playing for the Sunrisers Leeds (formerly Northern Superchargers) in The Hundred 2026, will not take part.
“We have arranged this high-profile 50-over competition to provide ample playing opportunities to our best available pool of players for ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 preparations.” The teams were put together with the players’ roles in the 50-over game in mind.
In a statement obtained by Cricinfo, PCB’s director of high performance, Aqihb Javed, stated, “I wish all the teams the best of luck and look forward to watching some highly competitive contests in Multan.”
Pakistan has not done well since reaching the 2011 World Cup semifinals. The 1992 champions finished fifth in the 2023 World Cup in India after losing five games. In the 2025 Champions Trophy, they finished bottom in Group A both at home and at the United Arab Emirates.
