Fans to Watch All Seven Matches Without Tickets
The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced free entry for spectators throughout the National Champions Cup 2026 in Multan.
Cricket fans will be able to attend all seven matches at the Multan Cricket Stadium without paying an entry fee.
The 50-over List-A tournament will run from August 11 to August 18 and will officially launch Pakistan’s 2026-27 domestic cricket season.
All matches will be played as day-night fixtures.
Play will begin at 3pm local time each day, giving fans an opportunity to watch several leading Pakistan players and emerging domestic talents in action.
Four teams will compete in the tournament: Pakistan Greens, Pakistan Whites, Pakistan Blues and Pakistan Gold.
The competition will follow a single round-robin format.
Each team will face the other three sides once during the league stage.
The two teams finishing at the top of the standings will qualify for the final on August 18.
Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan and Saim Ayub Lead Star-Studded Teams
Several prominent national players will feature in the competition.
Shaheen Shah Afridi will captain Pakistan Gold, while Shadab Khan will lead Pakistan Greens.
Saim Ayub has been appointed captain of Pakistan Whites, while Sahibzada Farhan will lead Pakistan Blues.
The tournament will also feature players including Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Abdullah Shafique, Hasan Nawaz, Arafat Minhas and Sufyan Moqim.
The four teams have fixed playing XIs consisting of 44 players in total.
A separate reserve pool of 13 players has also been selected.
According to the tournament structure, reserve players can replace members of the playing squads in cases involving injury or concussion.
Pakistan Greens include players such as Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Hasnain under Shadab Khan.
Pakistan Whites feature Saim Ayub alongside Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Wasim Junior and Usman Khan.
Pakistan Blues include Sahibzada Farhan, Abdullah Shafique, Hasan Ali, Arafat Minhas, Hussain Talat and Sufyan Moqim.
Shaheen Afridi’s Pakistan Gold side includes Mohammad Nawaz, Abdul Samad, Kamran Ghulam, Maaz Sadaqat and Haider Ali.
Tournament Forms Part of Pakistan’s 2027 World Cup Preparations
The National Champions Cup is expected to serve as an important platform for national selectors ahead of the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
The PCB has selected a mixture of established international players and emerging domestic cricketers to assess their performances in competitive 50-over cricket.
The 2027 World Cup will be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The Multan tournament gives selectors an early opportunity to evaluate potential options for Pakistan’s future ODI plans.
The opening match will feature Pakistan Greens against Pakistan Whites on August 11.
Pakistan Blues will face Pakistan Gold on August 12, followed by Pakistan Blues against Pakistan Whites on August 13.
Pakistan Gold will meet Pakistan Greens on August 14.
Pakistan Blues will face Pakistan Greens on August 15, while Pakistan Gold will play Pakistan Whites on August 16.
The top two teams will then contest the final on August 18.
By allowing free entry, the PCB is hoping to attract larger crowds to the Multan Cricket Stadium and increase public interest in domestic cricket.
The tournament will also give local supporters the chance to watch some of Pakistan’s leading players without the cost of purchasing match tickets.
