LAHORE: Pakistan’s domestic cricket season 2025-26 will begin on Friday with the Hanif Moha­mmad Trophy, while the draws for the National U-19 Cup were also unveiled on Wednesday, setting the stage for a busy calendar across multiple centres.

The Hanif Mohammad Trophy, a non-first-class four-day competition, will feature 12 regional teams competing for two spots in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy. The event runs from Aug 29 to Sept 25 across four venues.

The teams have been split into two groups. Group ‘A’ comprises Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Karachi Whites, Lahore Blues and Quetta, with matches scheduled in Multan, Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur. Group ‘B’ includes Dera Murad Jamali, FATA, Karachi Blues, Larkana, Multan and Rawalpindi, with fixtures to be played at National Bank Stadium, SBP Sports Complex and UBL Sports Complex in Karachi.

A total of five rounds will be staged, each carrying six matches. The top two sides from each group will qualify for the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy, due to start in October.

Meanwhile, the National U-19 Cup (one-day format) will get underway on Sept 10, with matches allocated to several centres in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The inclusion of Charsadda, recently hit by floods, has raised concerns, while Peshawar will serve as the other Group ‘B’ venue.

In Punjab, Group ‘A’ matches will be staged in Gujranwala, Sheikhupura and Muridke. Both Gujranwala’s Jinnah Stadium and Sheikhupura Stadium, once regular international venues, return to the domestic circuit after years of neglect.

As many as 18 regional sides, including two teams each from Lahore and Karachi, will participate. Group ‘A’ features Abbottabad, Multan, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Lahore Blues, Peshawar, Larkana, Karachi Blues and Quetta.

Group ‘B’ includes Rawalpindi, Karachi Whites, FATA, Dera Murad Jamali, Bahawalpur, Hyderabad, Lahore Whites, Islamabad and AJK.

It may be noted that the PCB has removed the three-day format at U-19 level, as well as the one-day edition in the senior category, from the upcoming season.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2025