LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the squads and full schedule for the National Champions Cup 2026, with the seven-match 50-over List A tournament set to begin on August 11 at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
The competition will kick off Pakistan’s 2026-27 domestic cricket season, with all matches to be played as day-night fixtures, starting at 3:00pm local time.
Four teams to compete
The National Champions Cup will feature four teams:
- Pakistan Greens
- Pakistan Whites
- Pakistan Blues
- Pakistan Gold
The tournament will follow a single round-robin format, with each team playing the others once. The top two sides in the standings will qualify for the final on August 18.
Fixed playing XIs announced
The PCB has named fixed playing XIs for all four teams, along with a 13-player reserve pool.
According to the board, teams must field the announced elevens throughout the tournament. Reserve players may only replace injured or concussed players and will remain with their respective squads during training sessions and match days.
Captains for National Champions Cup 2026
Four Pakistan internationals have been appointed as captains:
- Shaheen Shah Afridi – Pakistan Gold
- Shadab Khan – Pakistan Greens
- Saim Ayub – Pakistan Whites
- Sahibzada Farhan – Pakistan Blues
The PCB said the tournament is part of preparations for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, providing selectors with an opportunity to evaluate players ahead of the global event.
View this post on Instagram
Team squads
Pakistan Greens
Playing XI: Shadab Khan (captain), Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Farhan Yousuf, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saad Baig (wk), Sameer Minhas.
Support staff: Ijaz Ahmed Jnr (Head Coach), Rehan Riaz (Bowling Coach), Khurram Shahzad (Batting Coach), Fahad Iqbal (Fielding Coach).
Shan Masood, Imam-ul-Haq Lead Pakistan’s Fightback in First Test Against West Indies
Pakistan Whites
Playing XI: Saim Ayub (captain), Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Khushdil Shah, Mohsin Riaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Saad Masood, Shahzaib Khan, Usman Khan (wk).
Support staff: Iqbal Imam (Head Coach), Samiullah Niazi (Bowling Coach), Faisal Athar (Batting Coach), Saqib Faqir (Fielding Coach).
Pakistan Blues
Playing XI: Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Abdullah Shafique, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Hasan Ali, Hussain Talat, Jahandad Khan, Rohail Nazir (wk), Shamyl Hussain, Sufyan Moqim, Taimur Khan.
Support staff: Aizaz Cheema (Head Coach), Fahad Masood (Bowling Coach), Naveed Latif (Batting Coach), Hussain Khosa (Fielding Coach).
Pakistan Gold
Playing XI: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abdul Samad, Abdul Subhan, Faisal Akram, Haider Ali, Kamran Ghulam, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Nawaz, Muhammad Akhlaq (wk), Muhammad Imran, Saad Khan.
Support staff: Misbah-ul-Haq (Head Coach), Waqas Ahmed (Bowling Coach), Riffatullah Mohmand (Batting Coach), Atiq-ur-Rehman (Fielding Coach).
Reserve pool
Batters: Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Faiq, Muhammad Irfan Khan
All-rounders: Mubasir Khan, Danish Aziz
Fast bowlers: Arshad Iqbal, Muhammad Salman, Razaullah, Saqib Khan, Mohammad Amir Khan, Shahnawaz Dahani
Wicketkeeper: Haseebullah
National Champions Cup 2026 schedule
All matches will be played at Multan Cricket Stadium, with a 3:00pm local time start.
| Date | Fixture |
|---|---|
| August 11 | Pakistan Greens vs Pakistan Whites |
| August 12 | Pakistan Blues vs Pakistan Gold |
| August 13 | Pakistan Blues vs Pakistan Whites |
| August 14 | Pakistan Gold vs Pakistan Greens |
| August 15 | Pakistan Blues vs Pakistan Greens |
| August 16 | Pakistan Gold vs Pakistan Whites |
| August 18 | Final (Top two teams) |
The National Champions Cup is expected to play a key role in identifying talent and fine-tuning Pakistan’s player pool as preparations gather pace for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027.
