Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed a four-team ODI tournament as they begin their 2027 ODI World Cup preparation.
Four teams to take part
The competition, as confirmed by the team’s high-performance director, Aaqib Javed, would be played in August, just ahead of the start of the domestic first-class season.
Coaches and selectors will form four equal-strength teams, from which a pool of players for the World Cup will be formed.
“We have around 18 months until the 2027 World Cup, so this is the right time to begin our preparations,” Javed said.
“The selectors and coaches sat together and designed this four-team tournament. Four balanced sides will be selected, and all white-ball players will take part,” he said.
Will red-ball players take part in the competition?
Pakistan will play their second Test match against West Indies from August 2 to August 6, after which they are understood to fly directly to England for the three-match Test series, beginning August 19. This could mean that players involved in the red-ball series would be left out of the tournament, which will be broadcast live.
“The playing XIs will be selected according to each player’s role. This tournament will help us determine which group of players should form the core of our plans going forward,” he added.
“Every match will be broadcast, everyone’s performances will be visible, and that will make it easier for us to build the right player pool,” he said.
Pakistan are currently ranked fifth in the ICC ODI rankings, which is their best among all formats. But Aqib said they aim to break into the top four as they head into the preparatory phase ahead of the World Cup.
“Pakistan’s ODI team should be ranked among the top four in the world. Anything below that is unacceptable. We are determined to make significant progress in the rankings,” Javed concluded.
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