Pakistan implements Kookaburra use as part of domestic rejig

The new set-up is aimed at improving the first-class structure and increasing focus on red-ball cricket, especially with the new ICC World Test Championship raising the stakes in every Test match.

All major ICC limited-overs tournaments use white Kookaburra balls. Pakistan also play their home Test matches using the Kookaburra red ball. However, the first-class structure in the country currently employs the Dukes balls.

Another notable change is the demarcation of the domestic set-up geographically. The 16 regions within Pakistan will now be split into six associations, and will work on a three-tier bottom up structure, aimed at providing a better pathway for budding cricketers to be absorbed in higher levels.

A revised payment structure is also set to be incorporated, with players set to receive increased wages. The revision will also involve handing out domestic contracts and monthly retainers to 32 non-PCB centrally contracted players.

Pakistan’s cricketing season will begin with the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, beginning 14 September, and will run until the end of the Pakistan Cup One-Day Tournament on 24 April 2020.

PCB chairman Ehsan Mani welcomed the changes: “We are delighted to announce that we have achieved the target of reforming our domestic structure. One of the key priorities of this PCB administration is to enhance the quality of cricket, which will in due course also begin to reflect in our on-field performances at the international level.”

PCB chief executive Wasim Khan stressed that the changes have been incorporated to bolster Pakistan’s performances in global ICC events.

“The launch of the new domestic structure perfectly aligns with the World Test Championship, which commenced with the Ashes. Pakistan's opening series is in October and we aspire to feature in the final which will be held at the end of the two-year cycle in 2021.

“The PCB strongly believes in primacy of Test cricket, which is the traditional format of the game and in which we have slipped in our performances. We firmly believe this structure will not only help the PCB raise a team that can play in the 2021 final but [is] also an opportunity to the talented and skilled cricketers to represent Pakistan in the purist format of the game.

“Our scheduling of white-ball cricket will also give us every chance of being successful at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cups 2020 and 2021, and will support our preparation for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.”