Pakistan’s leading white-ball cricketers began competing for places in next year’s 50-over World Cup squad as the National Champions Cup got underway at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. The seven-match tournament, running through August 18, features four sides — Greens, Gold, Whites and Blues — drawn from the country’s broader white-ball pool, with selectors and white-ball head coach Mike Hesson watching closely as they finalize the squad for the World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia next year.
Key Highlights
- National Champions Cup opens in Multan with four teams: Greens, Gold, Whites, Blues
- Tournament runs through August 18, with final set for that date
- Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan and Sahibzada Farhan captain the four sides
- PCB has set aside a Rs8.15 million prize pool for the event
- Tournament follows a two-month white-ball camp at the National Cricket Academy
The stage is set in Multan for the four-team battle 🏏
Captains and players look ahead to Al Batal Presents University of Lahore National Champions Cup 🏆 #NationalChampionsCup | #KheloAzadiSe pic.twitter.com/osyACPLzvJ
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 10, 2026
Captains Lead Sides Built Around World Cup Prospects
Tuesday’s opening match saw Pakistan Greens, led by Shadab Khan, take on Pakistan Whites under Saim Ayub. Pakistan Blues, captained by Sahibzada Farhan, and Pakistan Gold, led by ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, begin their campaigns on Wednesday. Former Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq is coaching Shaheen’s Gold side, while Ijaz Ahmed Jr., Iqbal Imam and Aizaz Cheema head the coaching setups for Greens, Whites and Blues respectively.
Speaking at a pre-tournament press conference on Monday, Shaheen said the tournament’s core purpose was building depth against the possibility of injuries during the World Cup. “The purpose of this tournament is to make sure that if, God forbid, an injury occurs, we already have a player available for that particular position,” he said, adding that players had been given specific roles across the four teams so selectors could assess their performance in different match situations.
A Chance for Fringe Players to Make Their Case
Beyond the core squad contenders, the tournament offers an opening for players on the margins of national selection, including Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Nawaz and Haider Ali. For Saim Ayub, the competition carries particular weight given his heavier recent exposure to T20 cricket. “I have played T20 cricket continuously for about a year, while I have played very little ODI cricket,” he said, noting the adjustment required when switching formats but adding that he had been working on the relevant areas.
Hesson met with all four teams’ coaching staff on Sunday to brief them on Pakistan’s World Cup preparation plan. The players arrived in Multan on August 8 and have trained through demanding heat and humidity, conditions Shaheen described as simply part of a professional cricketer’s routine given how often Pakistan tours similarly difficult climates.
Despite the selection stakes, all four captains emphasized that winning remained the immediate priority. Asked whether he had received any assurance about leading the side at the 2027 World Cup, Shaheen kept his answer brief: “I am the captain for now.” With Rs5 million on offer for the champions and individual awards for the tournament’s top performers, Multan’s next week promises both sharp competition and a clearer picture of Pakistan’s World Cup options.
