LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that a four-team one-day tournament will be held in August as part of preparations for the 2027 ICC Men’s World Cup.
Pakistan’s director of high performance, Aqib Javed, said the tournament will be held before the start of the domestic first-class season and is aimed at identifying key players for the global event, which is about 18 months away.
Javed insisted preparations for the 2027 World Cup should begin immediately, a tournament designed to assess Pakistan’s white-ball prowess in a competitive environment.
“The 2027 World Cup is about 18 months away, so now is the right time to start our preparations,” Javed said.
He explained that the matches were jointly planned by the national selectors and coaching staff to form four evenly matched teams comprising all the leading white-ball players of Pakistan.
“The selectors and coaches sat together and designed this four-team tournament. Four balanced teams will be selected and all white-ball players will participate,” he said.
According to Javed, selectors and coaches decide each team’s playing XI based on the specific roles assigned to individual players, allowing them to evaluate combinations more effectively.
“The playing XIs will be selected according to each player’s role. This match will help determine which players should be the focus of the team’s plans going forward,” he added.
Javed noted that all the matches will be televised, ensuring that every player’s performance is closely monitored so that the management can easily identify a strong squad for future assignments.
“Every match will be broadcast, everyone’s performance will be visible and it will be easier for us to build the right player group,” he said.
The former Pakistan fast bowler also stressed the importance of improving the national team’s position in the ODI rankings ahead of the World Cup.
“Pakistan’s ODI team must be among the top four teams in the world. Anything below that is unacceptable. We are determined to make significant progress in the rankings,” Javed concluded.