LAHORE: Providing maximum opportunities for the best domestic performers to display their talent and stake their claim in the franchise and national sides underpinned, the Pakistan Cricket Board's 2020-21 domestic events calendar, which was unveiled on Friday.
In a major shift from previous years and taking into account the upcoming three white-ball global events, the PCB has decided to hold First XI matches of the National T20 Cup and Pakistan Cup One-Day Tournament, and National U19 One-Day Tournament on a double-league basis.
This will guarantee each side a minimum of 10 league matches in the three white-ball competitions before the top four sides in the senior events will progress to the semi-finals, followed by the final, and the top two sides in the juniors' event progressing to the final.
The National T20 Cup will be the curtain-raiser of the season, with matches being held in Multan and Rawalpindi from 30 September to 18 October, while the National U19 One-Day Tournament will be played in Lahore, Muridke and Sheikhupura from 13 October to 2 November.
The National T20 Cup and the National U19 One-Day Tournament have been scheduled at the start of the season to enable all the top performers to have the opportunity to attract interest from the franchises prior to the HBL PSL 2020 draft in November.
The Pakistan Cup One-Day Tournament will be played from 8-31 January, after which the domestic season will conclude with the PCB's marquee event, the HBL Pakistan Super League 2021, starting in February. All four-day first-class matches will start from 25 October and the event will conclude with the five-day final starting on 1 January. Second XI three-day matches will be played from 18 October to 13 December.
PCB 2020-21 domestic schedule at a glance:
National T20 Cup 1st XI (33 matches) - 30 September to 18 October; Multan and Rawalpindi
National T20 Cup 2nd XI (15 matches) - 1-8 October; Lahore
National U19 One-Day Tournament (31 matches) - 13 October to 2 November; Lahore, Muridke and Sheikhupura National U19 Three-Day Tournament (16 matches) - 5-29 November; Lahore, Muridke and Sheikhupura
HBL PSL 2020 (4 matches) - 14, 15 and 17 November; Lahore Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 1st XI (31 matches) - 25 October to 5 January 2021; Karachi
Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2nd XI (30 matches) - 18 October to 13 December; Karachi
Pakistan Cup 1st XI (33 matches) - 8-31 January 2021; Karachi Pakistan Cup 2nd XI (15 matches) - 16-24 December; Karachi.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020