The Pakistan Cricket Board Friday announced the six Cricket Association squads for the 2020-21 domestic cricket season, which will commence on 30 September with the National T20 Cup. 

The first round of the event will be played in Multan, while the final round will be held in Rawalpindi. The complete season schedule will be announced in due course.

The 12-month contracts will run from 1 August 2020 to 31 July 2021.

The squads were finalised by the six Cricket Association coaches who took into consideration performances of the last two seasons, retained maximum players from the 2019-20 season without reshuffling the squads too much and, where possible, provided opportunities to the centrally and emerging contracted players to represent their Cricket Associations.

This has been done to ensure a sense of ownership and pride amongst the players representing their Cricket Associations, which, in turn, will further enhance the involvement of the fans and cricket followers, and provide more balance to the six sides to make the forthcoming season more competitive than 2019-20.

As such, the selectors have retained 158 players who were offered 2019-20 domestic contracts and have included 34 new players, including some who represented Pakistan in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2020.

Each Cricket Association squad will comprise 45 players – 32 players with domestic contracts, supported by 13 additional players – and the PCB centrally and emerging contracted cricketers, belonging to their respective regions.

The coaches will finalise the playing lineups for the events proper (National T20 Cup, Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and Pakistan Cup One-day Tournament) in due course following discussions with captains and vice-captains, who will also be confirmed at that stage.

Players with the seasonal contracts will be eligible to receive match fee, daily allowances and other related benefits, wherever applicable.

The six head coaches have also finalised their squads with the vision of nurturing up and coming cricketers.

In this relation, 11 teenagers, who participated in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup earlier this year, have been selected.

They are Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Balochistan); Irfan Khan Niazi, Qasim Akram and Fahad Munir (all three Central Punjab); Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Amir Khan and Mohammad Abbas Afridi (all four Khyber Pakhtunkhwa); Mohammad Huraira (Northern) and Aamir Ali and Arish Ali Khan (Sindh).

The coaches, who are also members of the national selection committee, have also followed the PCB’s policy of investing in the future as the average age of the Balochistan side is 27, followed by Central Punjab 26, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 26, Northern 25, Sindh 25 and Southern Punjab 26.

Balochistan First XI Head Coach Faisal Iqbal: “The selection of the squads was based on a thorough assessment of the players based on a wide-ranging selection criterion. I want to thank the coaches of the Balochistan second XI and U19 teams along with the first XI assistant coach, who all played a vital role in the selection of this squad. I am confident the Balochistan squad will impress and prove to be a real competitive unit across the three formats. We have given opportunities to the local talent from the province and the performers have been given their due. The squad is well-balanced and full of exciting players.”

Central Punjab First XI Head Coach Shahid Anwar: “We have a big talent pool and some of the biggest names of the domestic game are once again part of the side which has established a legacy by the triumph in last year’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy first-class tournament. This year we have picked some exciting players including Pakistan U19 performers, who will be groomed with an eye for the future.”

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa First XI Head Coach Abdul Razzaq: “I am fully satisfied with the selection process, which was made on the basis of a comprehensive and all-encompassing selection criteria. My squad has a great blend of youth and experience and my aim would be to provide them all the support and encouragement they need to play to their best potential. Like the rest of the squads, I also have some exciting players who can be real assets for Pakistan cricket in due course.”

Northern First XI Head Coach Mohammad Wasim: “Northern played some exhilarating cricket last season and we made some innovative plans that brought us success in both the shortest and longest format. I have retained the core of the players who served the squad well and have added young blood with an aim of developing more top quality players who can not only serve us but can also graduate to the highest level of the game.” 

Sindh First XI Head Coach Basit Ali: “Sindh squad is a well-rounded one with some of the biggest names of the province, proven domestic performers as well as young players that have an abundance of potential. I look forward to a hugely exciting and competitive domestic season where both our red-ball and white-ball squads can play the kind of cricket that is on modern lines and in sync with the approach of the Pakistan team management.”

Southern Punjab First XI Head Coach Abdul Rehman: “I have focused on building a squad that is full of young and exciting players backed by experienced and proven performers of the domestic arena. My aim is to groom players who can serve Pakistan cricket across formats at the senior level. I feel my squad has the depth and quality to play an attractive brand of cricket with an eye both on the success and development of players.”

Squads for 2020-21 Domestic Season

Balochistan Cricket Association

Abdul Rehman Muzammil, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Adnan Akmal, Akbar-ur-Rehman, Akhtar Shah, Akif Javed, Amad Butt, Awais Zia, Azeem Ghumman, Bismillah Khan, Gohar Faiz, Gulraiz Sadaf, Hayat Ullah, Hidayatullah, Imran Butt, Imran Farhat, Jalat Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Junaid, Mohammad Talha, Najeebullah Achakzai, Rameez Raja jnr, Sami Aslam, Shehbaz Khan, Shehzad Tareen, Taimur Ali, Taimur Khan, Taj Wali, Umaid Asif, Umar Gul and Usama Mir.

Additional players: Abdul Nasir, Ali Rafiq, Ali Waqas, Ayyaz Tassawar, Atif Jabbar, Azeem Dar, Azizullah, Dawood Khan, Israr Ahmed, Mohammad Ibrahim, Nazar Hussain, Salahuddin and Zainullah.

Centrally contracted players: Imam-ul-Haq, Haris Sohail and Yasir Shah

Coaches – First XI: Faisal Iqbal (coach), Wasim Haider (assistant coach). Second XI: Habib Baloch (coach), Shoaib Khan (assistant coach). U19: Hussain Khosa (coach), Mazhar Dinari (assistant coach)

Central Punjab Cricket Association

Abdullah Shafiq, Ahmed Bashir, Ahmed Safi Abdullah, Ahmed Shahzad (subject to fitness), Aitzaz Habib Khan, Ali Zaryab, Anas Mehmood, Bilal Asif, Bilawal Iqbal, Ehsan Adil, Fahad Usman, Faheem Ashraf, Farhan Khan, Hasan Ali, Irfan Khan Niazi, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Imran Dogar, Mohammad Saad, Muhammad Akhlaq, Nisar Ahmed, Qasim Akram, Rizwan Hussain, Saad Nasim, Salman Butt, Shahid Nawaz, Suleman Shafqat, Usman Qadir, Usman Salahuddin, Waqas Maqsood, Zafar Gohar and Zohaib Amanat.

Additional players: Ali Shan, Asfand Mehran, Atiq-ur-Rehman, Fahad Munir, Hammad Butt, Haseeb-urRehman, Junaid Ali, Kamran Afzal, Mohammad Faiq, Noman Anwar, Raza Ali Dar, Sohaib Ullah and Zubair Khan.

Centrally contracted players: Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam and Naseem Shah

Coaches – First XI: Shahid Anwar (coach), Samiullah Niazi (assistant coach). Second XI: Akram Raza (coach), Humayun Farhat (assistant coach). U19: Tanvir Shaukat (coach), Irfan Fazil (assistant coach)

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cricket Association

Adil Amin, Ahmed Jamal, Arshad Iqbal, Asad Afridi, Ashfaq Ahmad, Asif Afridi, Imran Khan snr, Irfanullah Shah, Israrullah, Junaid Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Khalid Usman, Mehran Ibrahim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir Khan, Mohammad Asad, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Irfan Khan, Mohammad Mohsin, Mohammad Mohsin Khan, Mohammad Naeem snr, Mohammad Sarwar Afridi, Mohammad Wasim jnr, Musadiq Ahmad, Nabi Gul, Rehan Afridi, Sahibzada Farhan, Sajid Khan, Sameen Gul, Samiullah Jnr, Saqib Jamil and Zohaib Khan.

Additional players: Gohar Ali, Haris Khan, Mohammad Arif Shah, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Khayyam, Nasir Faraz, Salman Khan jnr, Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz and Waqar Ahmad.

Centrally contracted players: Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan Shinwari, Iftikhar Ahmed and Shaheen Shah Afridi

Coaches - First XI – Abdul Razzaq (coach), Aftab Khan (assistant coach). Second XI – Rafatullah

Mohmand (coach), Aslam Qureshi (assistant coach). U19 – Saqib Faqir (coach), Mohammad Sadiq (assistant coach)

Northern Cricket Association

Ali Imran, Ali Sarfaraz, Asif Ali, Athar Mehmood, Faizan Riaz, Hammad Azam, Jamal Anwar, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Ismail Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Munir Riaz, Musa Khan, Nasir Nawaz, Nauman Ali, Naved Malik, Nihal Mansoor, Raza Hasan, Rohail Nazir, Salman Irshad, Sarmad Bhatti, Shadab Majeed, Shiraz Khan, Shoaib Ahmed Minhas, Sohail Tanvir, Sohail Akhtar, Umair Masood, Umar Amin, Umar Waheed, Waqas Ahmed, Zaid Alam, Zeeshan Malik and Ziad Khan

Additional players: Aamer Jamal, Amad Butt, Babar Khaliq, Farhan Shafiq, Kashif Iqbal, Mohammad Aamer Shah, Mohammad Huraira, Raja Farhan, Raja Farzan Khan, Sadaf Hussain, Sohail Akhtar, Syed Tauseeq Shah, Taimur Khan and Taimur Sultan.

Centrally contracted players: Haider Ali (emerging contract), Haris Rauf (emerging contract), Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan

Coaches - First XI – Mohammad Wasim (coach), Mohammad Masroor (assistant coach). Second XI –Fahad Masood (coach), Saeed Anwar Jnr (assistant coach). U19 – Bilal Ahmed (coach), Fahad Akram (assistant coach)

Sindh Cricket Association

Adeel Malik, Ahsan Ali, Ammad Alam, Anwar Ali, Ashiq Ali, Fahad Iqbal, Fawad Alam, Ghulam Muddasar, Hasan Mohsin, Jahid Ali, Khurram Manzoor, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Asghar, Mohammad Azam Khan, Mohammad Hasan, Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Taha, Mohammad Tariq Khan, Mohammad Umar, Omair Bin Yousuf, Rameez Aziz, Rameez Raja jnr, Saad Ali, Saad Khan, Saifullah Bangash, Saud Shakeel, Shahnawaz, Sharjeel Khan, Shehzar Mohammad, Sohail Khan, Tabish Khan and Waleed Ahmed

Additional players: Aamir Ali, Arish Ali Khan, Asad Raza, Ashir Qureshi, Azizullah, Danish Aziz, Faraz Ali, Hassan Khan, Ibrar Ahmed, Ibtisam Sheikh, Mohammad Makki, Rumman Raees and Syed Mohammad Tahami

Centrally contracted players: Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Hasnain (emerging contract) and Sarfaraz Ahmed

Coaches - First XI – Basit Ali (coach), Iqbal Imam (assistant coach). Second XI – Ghulam Ali (coach), Zafar Iqbal (assistant coach). U19 – Tahir Mahmood (coach), Hanif Malik (assistant coach)

Southern Punjab Cricket Association

Aamer Yamin, Ahsan Baig, Ali Shafiq, Ali Usman, Anas Mustafa, Bilawal Bhatti, Dilbar Hussain, Hussain Talat, Imran Rafiq, Khushdil Shah, Maqbool Ahmed, Mohammad Basit, Mohammad Ilyas, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Irfan Jnr, Mohammad Rameez Jnr, Mohammad Umair, Muhammad Imran, Mukhtar Ahmed, Naved Yasin, Rahat Ali, Saif Badar, Salman Ali Agha, Sohaib Maqsood, Tayyab Tahir, Umar Khan, Umar Siddiq, Waqar Hussain, Zahid Mahmood, Zain Abbas, Zeeshan Ashraf and Zia ul Haq

Additional players: Ahmar Ashfaq, Hamza Akbar, Haris Bashir, Haris Javed, Mehboob Ahmed, Mohammad Ali Khan, Mohammad Irfan SNR, Mohammad Junaid, Mohammad Mohsin, Rameez Alam, Sadaif Mehdi, Salahuddin and Zohaib Afridi

Centrally contracted players: Mohammad Abbas and Shan Masood

Coaches - First XI – Abdul Rehman (coach), Aizaz Cheema (assistant coach), Second XI – Sajjad Akbar (coach), Zahoor Elahi (assistant coach), U19 – Kamran Khan (coach), Hafiz Majid Jahangir (assistant coach)