PCB unveils talent hunt for young cricket stars

QAZI SHOAB KHAN

DNA

ATTOCK (NOV-20) Talent hunt programme has been launched by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)  from Monday including Attock and other parts of the country to search street cricket potential. Sources in the PCB told media on Monday that the programme would start from Nov 20, selected players in U-13 and U-16 categories would be eligible to play in regional tournaments.

They said the selected players in U-19 would participate in inter-district tournament, adding players born after September 1, 2010 and before September 1, 2014 would be eligible in U-13. Cricketers born after September 1, 2007 and before September 1, 2011 will be eligible for Under-16. The players of all age groups are required to carry their B-forms at the trials. At the time of wrist tests, the selected players are required to present their smart cards for age verification, the PCB said.

A total of 16 regions will participate in the three age-group tournaments including Abbottabad Region (Abbottabad, Buneer, Dir Upper, Haripur, Mansehra, Mardan and Swabi), while in AJK Region (Bagh, Kotli, Mirpur, Muzaffarabad and Poonch) are included. Likewise, in Bahawalpur Region Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Pakpattan, Rahim Yar Khan and Rajanpur) and in Faisalabad region Bhakkar, Faisalabad, Jhang, Kasur, Mianwali and Sargodha are included. In FATA Region, Bajour, Bannu, DI Khan, Khyber, Kohat, Kurram, Mohmand, North Waziristan, South Waziristan and Tank are included, while in Hyderabad Region, Badin, Benazirabad, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar and Thatta are included.

The federal capital is included with Islamabad Region (Central Zone, East Zone, Gilgit Baltistan, North Zone and West Zone, while Karachi Region (Zones I – VII), Lahore Region (East, North and West Zones), and Larkana region include Dadu, Jacobabad, Khairpur, Larkana, Shikarpur and Sukkur. In South Punjab region, included Multan Region (DG Khan, Khanewal, Lodharan, Multan, Okara, Sahiwal and Vehari), while in D.M. Jamali Region included Jaffarabad, Lasbela, Loralai, Naseerabad and Sibi. In Peshawar Region districts included Charsadda, Dir Lower, Nowshera, Peshawar and Swat, while in Quetta Region it included Chaghi, Gwadar, Kalat, Khuzdar, Killa Abdullah, Noshki, Panjgur, Pishin, Quetta and Turbat.Likewise, in Rawalpindi region the districts included Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum and Rawalpindi and in Sialkot Region districts include Gujranwala, Gujrat, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Narowal, Sheikhupura and Sialkot.  Earlier, Pakistan cricket board also  announced details of U13, U16 and U19 trials for the selection of regional and Inter-District teams. The players selected in the U13 and U16 categories will be eligible to take part in regional tournaments for the 2023-24 season, while those selected for the U19 category will feature in inter-district tournament for season 2024-25.

Players born on or after 1 September 2010 and before 1 September 2014 will be eligible for selection in the U13 squads, while players born on or after 1 September 2007 and before 1 September 2011 will be eligible for selection in the U16 sides. For the U19 category, players born on or after 1 September 2005 and before 1 September 2009 will be eligible for selection. The players of all age-group are required to carry their B-forms at the trials. At the time of wrist tests, the selected players are required to present their smart cards for age verification. The following 16 regions (districts in brackets) will participate in the three age-group tournaments. Abbottabad Region (Abbottabad, Buneer, Dir Upper, Haripur, Mansehra, Mardan and Swabi) AJK Region (Bagh, Kotli, Mirpur, Muzaffarabad and Poonch) Bahawalpur Region (Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Pakpattan, Rahim Yar Khan and Rajanpur) Faisalabad Region (Bhakkar, Faisalabad, Jhang, Kasur, Mianwali and Sargodha) FATA Region (Bajour, Bannu, DI Khan, Khyber, Kohat, Kurram, Mohmand, North Waziristan, South Waziristan and Tank) Hyderabad Region (Badin, Benazirabad, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar and Thatta) Islamabad Region (Central Zone, East Zone, Gilgit Baltistan, North Zone and West Zone) Karachi Region (Zones I – VII) Lahore Region (East, North and West Zones) Larkana Region (Dadu, Jacobabad, Khairpur, Larkana, Shikarpur and Sukkur) Multan Region (DG Khan, Khanewal, Lodharan, Multan, Okara, Sahiwal and Vehari) M. Jamali Region (Jaffarabad, Lasbela, Loralai, Naseerabad and Sibi) Peshawar Region (Charsadda, Dir Lower, Nowshera, Peshawar and Swat)

Quetta Region (Chaghi, Gwadar, Kalat, Khuzdar, Killa Abdullah, Noshki, Panjgur, Pishin, Quetta and Turbat) Rawalpindi Region (Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum and Rawalpindi) Sialkot Region (Gujranwala, Gujrat, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Narowal, Sheikhupura and Sialkot), sources added.