PCB Shifts President’s Trophy Matches from Peshawar and Abbottabad Amid Political Unrest

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has relocated several ongoing President’s Trophy Grade 1 first-class matches from Peshawar and Abbottabad following political unrest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the federal government has declared a state of emergency and imposed governor’s rule.

The tournament, which has been staged across Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Abbottabad, will now see the affected fixtures played at alternative venues in Punjab. Matches scheduled in Islamabad and Rawalpindi will continue as planned, with the sixth round beginning on Monday.

According to the revised schedule, the match between Ghani and Hyderabad Kingsmen Academy will begin on October 14 at Rana Naveed Academy in Sheikhupura. Meanwhile, the fixture between Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) will be played at the LCCA Ground in Lahore, adjacent to Gaddafi Stadium.

Final Round Rescheduled

The PCB has also revised the schedule for the final round of the league stage, which will now begin on October 19, a day later than originally planned.

The LCCA Ground in Lahore is also set to host the final-round fixture between Markhor IT Solutions and Pakistan Television (PTV). In Islamabad, the National Cricket Ground will stage the match between Hyderabad Kingsmen Academy and State Bank of Pakistan, while the Diamond Club Ground remains another venue in use in the capital.

The ongoing sixth round is the penultimate round of the league stage, with all eight participating teams competing in a round-robin format. The top two teams at the end of the league phase will qualify for the final, whose venue has yet to be announced.

Peshawar and Abbottabad Lose Hosting Duties

The relocation is a setback for Peshawar and Abbottabad, both of which have recently featured in Pakistan’s domestic cricket calendar.

Abbottabad Cricket Stadium has regularly hosted first-class cricket over the years, while senior men's domestic cricket returned to Peshawar’s Imran Khan Stadium last season after a gap of nearly seven years. The venue hosted nine Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches following extensive renovation work.

The PCB had been keen to bring top-level domestic cricket back to Peshawar as part of its efforts to expand the sport’s reach across the country.

Peshawar was also allocated its maiden Pakistan Super League (PSL) match this year after the city’s hosting arrangements were tested during the National T20 Cup. However, the tournament was ultimately restricted to Lahore and Karachi in line with federal government fuel-conservation measures introduced following the West Asia crisis.

State Bank Lead the Standings

State Bank of Pakistan currently occupy the top position in the President’s Trophy standings with 84 points, followed by Ghani on 70 points.

Hyderabad Kingsmen Academy, PTV, Markhor IT Solutions and OGDCL have each recorded one victory, while Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) and SNGPL remain without a win. KRL and SNGPL contested last season’s final.

With the league stage approaching its conclusion, teams will now look to adapt to the revised schedule and secure their positions in the race for the title.