LAHORE, Pakistan — In a pivotal strategy session at Gaddafi Stadium, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi chaired a high-level meeting to chart Pakistan’s cricket roadmap ahead of a packed 2025 season.
The gathering included senior PCB leadership and was focused on planning for upcoming international fixtures, revamping the domestic structure, and aligning central contracts with the increasingly demanding cricket calendar.
Key focus: Upcoming tours and domestic cricket reform
The PCB’s strategic discussions covered home series against South Africa and Sri Lanka, as well as away tours to the West Indies and Bangladesh. Officials also used the session to begin laying the groundwork for player central contracts and squad preparation for major tournaments in the next cycle.
New mandate: National players required to play domestic cricket
Among the most notable decisions was a directive that all centrally contracted national players must participate in at least one domestic tournament per season. This is intended to raise standards across Pakistan’s domestic circuit and bridge the gap with international performance levels.
Chairman Mohsin Naqvi emphasized the change, stating:
“Playing alongside international cricketers will help in grooming domestic players. A strong domestic cricket structure is essential to bring forward top-quality cricketers. Good backups for international players will emerge from domestic competitions.”
This move is expected to inject quality and intensity into the domestic scene, while giving younger players valuable exposure to senior-level cricket.
Central contracts and workload alignment
The PCB also initiated internal discussions around revising central contracts to reflect the evolving competitive schedule. Performance monitoring and workload management are expected to be core priorities, especially with tours, ICC events, and bilateral series placing increasing demands on national players.
Key officials in attendance
The meeting was attended by key PCB stakeholders, including:
- Head Coach Mike Hesson
- Chief Operating Officer Sameer Ahmed
- Team Manager Naveed Akram Cheema
- Director of High Performance Aaqib Javed
- White-ball captain Salman Ali Agha
Director of International Cricket Usman Wahla presented detailed updates on logistics and operational planning for the upcoming tours, particularly the high-profile home series against South Africa.
Momentum after T20I series win
The meeting followed Pakistan’s clean 3-0 T20I sweep of Bangladesh, highlighted by Mohammad Haris’ explosive century in the final match. The series win has boosted morale as the team looks ahead to a busy 2025 calendar featuring both bilateral and global events.
By synchronizing domestic priorities with international goals, and fostering deeper integration between contracted players and local competitions, the PCB is signaling a long-term, development-first approach to Pakistan cricket’s future.
