Summary Women’s championship planned for next year to widen opportunities
LAHORE (Dunya News) – Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has outlined plans to expand school cricket across the country, saying Pakistan has an abundance of cricketing talent that needs a stronger system to identify and develop it.
Speaking at the University of Central Punjab (UCP) in Lahore during the university’s annual sports prize distribution ceremony, attended by Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Niaz Ahmad and Punjab Group Chairman Mian Amer, he highlighted the launch of school cricket competitions, increased opportunities for young players and financial rewards for winning teams. Lahore already has teams from 1,400 schools, with the number expected to exceed 3,000 next year.
Naqvi said Pakistan had no shortage of talented cricketers, adding that the volume of available talent could itself become difficult to manage without an effective development structure. He acknowledged that the national team’s performances had faced sustained criticism but said measures were being taken to improve player preparation and promote cricket at different levels.
He contrasted the current situation with that of two years earlier, when, he said, there were limited options for bringing new players into the national team. The PCB is now focusing on identifying emerging cricketers and making better use of the talent available across the country.
Naqvi credited Aaqib Javed and others involved in the process for their efforts to strengthen player development and improve opportunities for aspiring cricketers.
School cricket expansion
The PCB chairman said school cricket had been launched under the new initiative, creating a structured opportunity for younger players to demonstrate their abilities in organised competition.
Lahore currently has teams from 1,400 schools participating in the programme. The PCB plans to increase that number to more than 3,000 next year, expanding the pool of students who can gain competitive experience and come to the attention of selectors and coaches.
The initiative is designed to identify talent at an earlier stage and provide young players with a route towards higher levels of the game. School competitions can help coaches assess players in match conditions, rather than relying solely on informal trials or isolated performances.
Naqvi said the programme aimed to give young cricketers opportunities to showcase their skills and help produce the next generation of players for Pakistan. The expansion is part of a broader effort to strengthen cricket development from the grassroots level and create a more consistent supply of emerging talent for the domestic system.
Rs200 million prize
The PCB will award Rs200 million to the winning team under the school cricket prize scheme from this year, while the runners-up will receive Rs100 million, Naqvi said.
The prize money is intended to encourage participating teams, increase interest in school competitions and strengthen the appeal of organised cricket among students. The announcement places financial incentives alongside the expansion of the tournament structure as the board seeks to increase participation and competition.
The rewards are also intended to raise the profile of school cricket, giving teams an additional incentive to prepare and compete. The PCB has presented the programme as part of its effort to provide young players with opportunities to progress through a more organised development system.
The target of more than 3,000 teams next year would substantially increase the number of school sides taking part, building on the 1,400 teams already present in Lahore. Naqvi said the development of grassroots cricket was important for identifying players who could eventually strengthen Pakistan’s national side.
Women’s cricket plans
Naqvi also announced plans to organise a women’s cricket championship from next year, in a move aimed at promoting the women’s game and providing players with additional opportunities to demonstrate their abilities.
The proposed competition would broaden the PCB’s talent development efforts beyond the men’s game, creating another platform for organised competition and player identification. The initiative is intended to help women cricketers gain experience and improve their prospects of progressing to higher levels.
The women’s championship plan complements the board’s focus on expanding school cricket and improving access to competitive opportunities. Details of the proposed tournament, including its format and participating teams, were not specified in the announcement.
Naqvi reiterated that school cricket and other competitions were essential to bringing Pakistan’s available talent to the fore. The PCB’s approach centres on expanding participation, improving preparation and identifying players who can develop into future national-team prospects.
Mian Amer’s offer
His remarks at UCP came as the university offered its facilities and nationwide educational network to the PCB and HEC for a joint cricket talent hunt programme. Punjab Group Chairman Mian Amer proposed using the group’s network of more than 1,000 campuses to identify promising cricketers, alongside joint training camps, a database of university players, coach certification and specialised scholarships.
UCP, HEC and PCB team up to unearth cricket talent as Mian Amer calls for equal opportunities
The university has also called for a more structured pathway from campus cricket to first-class competition, with Mian Amer urging the authorities to ensure that financial constraints do not prevent talented students, particularly those at public-sector universities, from competing and progressing.
