The National T20 Cup is scheduled to begin in Pakistan on March 14.
Senior Pakistan players Babar Azam and Naseem Shah have withdrawn from the National T20 Cup. This comes in the aftermath of the duo being dropped from Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand in New Zealand. The National T20 Cup, which will see 20 teams being divided into four groups of five, is scheduled to begin on March 14.
Babar has endured a difficult run in T20Is, having failed to score a single fifty in his last 11 innings. His last half-century in this format for Pakistan came in May 2024 during a match against Ireland in Dublin. Pacer Naseem Shah, on the other hand, has taken just 10 wickets from his last 10 innings in this format.
Both Babar and Naseem were part of Pakistan’s forgettable 2025 Champions Trophy campaign that the country hosted. Pakistan finished fourth in Group A that comprised of India, New Zealand and Bangladesh. The Mohammad Rizwan-led side suffered losses to New Zealand and India, while their final group match against Bangladesh was washed out due to rain in Rawalpindi. Babar scored 87 runs from two matches, whereas Naseem took two wickets, with both coming against New Zealand.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to cut down match fees for the players who participate in the National T20 Cup. According to ESPNCricinfo, players taking part in the tournament will now receive PKR 10,000, which is a 75 percent reduction in match fees. In the previous edition, players were awarded PKR 40,000 as match fees.
In 2022, players were even paid match fees of PKR 60,000. The report adds that reserve players will get match fees of PKR 5,000 for each match.
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A total of 39 matches will be played in the National T20 Cup tournament, with the final scheduled for March 27 in Faisalabad. Apart from Faisalabad, Lahore and Multan will host the matches.
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