ISLAMABAD: In a last-minute development, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has shifted the National T20 Cricket Championship from Rawalpindi to Multan, leaving teams scrambling to rearrange travel and accommodation plans.
The tournament, originally set to begin on February 5 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, was moved to Multan following fresh security concerns. Teams that had already reached Rawalpindi and were preparing to check into hotels were informed of the sudden change.
“When we reached a local hotel in Rawalpindi and were about to check in, we were told that the PCB had decided to shift the venue to Multan, where the National T20 will now commence on fresh dates,” a regional team official told The News. “All arrangements had been finalized, but we had to immediately revise our plans.”
Rawalpindi was initially scheduled to host all pool matches, while the semi-finals and final were to be staged at the Imran Khan Stadium in Peshawar. However, with the relocation of the event to Multan, the fate of the knockout matches also hangs in the balance. Sources indicate that shifting the semi-finals and final from Peshawar is under serious consideration, with a revised schedule expected within days.
A senior PCB source confirmed that the decision was taken on the advice of security agencies. “The Championship will now be staged in Multan. There is also a possibility that the tournament, originally slated for February 5, could be delayed by a couple of days enabling competing teams to reach and readjust in Multan,” the source said.
The National T20 Championship, featuring ten top regional teams divided into two groups, is considered a key domestic event and a curtain-raiser to the high-profile Pakistan Super League (PSL), which is scheduled to begin on March 26 at multiple venues across the country. The tournament serves as a vital platform for emerging cricketers to stake their claim ahead of the lucrative franchise league.
However, the competition will miss several leading Pakistan players who are set to tour Bangladesh in the second week of February. The national side is scheduled to play three One-Day Internationals against Bangladesh before returning home for Eid and then to prepare for the PSL.
While Multan gears up to host the reshuffled championship, the sudden switch has once again highlighted the unpredictable challenges surrounding domestic cricket scheduling.
