LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a series of open trials in 15 cities across the country as part of the Future Stars Talent Hunt Programme.
The cricket board aims to shortlist around 350 players for 16 regional academies in a bid to expand the country-wide talent pool of professional cricketers.
A panel of former Test cricketers comprising PCB Director High Performance Aqib Javed, National Cricket Academy coaches Misbah-ul-Haq and Abdul Razzaq, will travel to the venues to conduct the trials from 11 February.
The trials will begin from PCB Ground in Sukkur, where players from the Larkana Region can take part.
The 15 cities where the first of its kind open trials will be held are Abbottabad, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Hub District, Hyderabad, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Muzaffarabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Rawalpindi, Sialkot, and Sukkur.
The selection panel will shortlist up to 24 players for each of the 16 regions across Pakistan, who will then undergo a four-week specialised training programme in their respective regional headquarters.
The best of the best players in those camps will also be called to National Cricket Academy camps and will also be fast-tracked via a year-long skills development programme in their respective regions.
Apart from the shortlisting of players for the regional academies, the selection panel will also award cash prizes on the spot to the best pacer, spinner and batter at each of the 16 trial venues.
With this exercise, the PCB will assist the 16 regions in expansion of their talent pools for intra and inter-district, regional and other domestic tournaments.
Following the rigorous regional and NCA skill development camps for the shortlisted players from open trials, they will be recommended not just to the various domestic teams in departmental and regional tournaments but also for PSL selection in the seasons beyond 2026.
With this intervention policy and scouting programme, it is expected that a number of players will be able to benefit from PCB’s first-of-its-kind player development initiative and enter the professional mould.
Open trial dates and venues
11 February – PCB Ground, Sukkur – Larkana Region
12-13 February – Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad – Hyderabad Region
15-16 February – KCCA Stadium, Karachi – Karachi Region
25-26 March – Dring Stadium, Bahawalpur – Bahawalpur Region
28-29 March – Multan Cricket Stadium – Multan Region
1-2 April – Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad – Faisalabad Region
4-5 April – LCCA Ground, Lahore – Lahore Region
7-8 April – Faraz Stadium, Sialkot – Sialkot Region
10-11 April – Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium – Rawalpindi Region
13-14 April – Marghzar Cricket Ground – Islamabad Region
16-17 April – Abbottabad Cricket Stadium – Abbottabad Region
19-20 April – Imran Khan Cricket Stadium, Peshawar – Peshawar Region
22-23 April – Hayatabad Cricket Stadium, Peshawar – FATA Region
25-26 April – Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium – Azad Jammu and Kashmir Region
28-29 April – Bugti Cricket Stadium, Quetta – Quetta Region
1 May – Hub Stadium, Lasbela – Dera Murad Jamali Region
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