The cricket board confirmed a revised domestic calendar that shortens the first class competition by two rounds and consolidates the limited overs tournament into a single block rather than splitting it across the season.
The changes follow a review prompted by fixture congestion and by complaints from provincial associations about players moving between formats with little recovery time. The board said the revision was intended to give each format a clearer window.
The first class competition
The first class tournament reduces from twelve rounds to ten, with the group stage trimmed rather than the knockout phase. The final retains its five day allocation and a reserve day.
Several coaches have argued that removing rounds weakens the development role of the competition, which is the principal route into national selection. The board response points to the added recovery time and to an unchanged number of days per player across the full season.
Fewer rounds is not fewer matches for most players. It is the same cricket with the traffic taken out of it.
Limited overs
The one day tournament moves to a continuous six week block in the second half of the season. Previously it ran in two separated phases, an arrangement that required squads to reassemble twice and complicated overseas player contracts.
The twenty over competition keeps its existing window. The board confirmed that broadcast arrangements for all three formats are unchanged under the revised calendar.
