ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently signed what it described as “historic” agreements with the country’s Higher Education Commission (HEC), the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Inter-Board Coordination Commission (IBCC) to promote cricket at the grassroots level in educational institutions across the country through scholarships and academies.
Pakistani cricket analyst and commentators have recently expressed worry at a string of poor performances by the national squad in international tournaments. Cricket experts have noted a dearth in talent at the grassroots level owing to a poor domestic infrastructure and frequent changes in leadership at the PCB.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Pakistan’s Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui signed the agreements on Sunday at the CDA headquarters in Islamabad, the board said in a statement. Senior officials of the HEC, CDA and IBCC were present on the occasion.
“The Pakistan Cricket Board has today signed historic memorandum of understanding (MoUs) with Higher Education Commission (HEC), Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Inter-Board Coordination Commission (IBCC) to promote cricket and improve the cricketing infrastructure in schools, colleges and universities across Pakistan,” the PCB said on Sunday.
The PCB said its “comprehensive” plan includes organizing cricket tournaments and leagues at various educational levels which would cater to both boys and girls nationwide. It said the initiative will also encourage setting up of cricket academies in higher education institutions and focus on promoting women’s cricket.
“The HEC will also support outstanding players with sports scholarships,” the board said.
The PCB said that as per the agreements, it will provide coaching courses for Physical Training Education (PTE) teachers while PCB coaches will visit schools to train boys and girls during school camps. Furthermore, PCB will offer free training to ground staff and curators of higher education institutions, it said.
“Top performers from school and college tournaments will have the opportunity to join PCB U17 and U19 teams and receive training at High-Performance Centers,” the board said. “Additionally, PCB will ensure annual training courses for selected players from inter-university championships.”
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi expressed excitement at the agreements reached between all parties, saying it will help unearth young cricket talent in Pakistan.
“We are excited about this historic effort to promote cricket at the grassroots level,” he said. “The organization of inter-school, inter-collegiate, and inter-university tournaments will help us identify and nurture young talent across the country.”
Siddiqui noted that schools are the “nurseries of talent,” adding that often exceptional players emerge from school-level sports.
“Under these agreements, the IBCC will oversee tournament arrangements in collaboration with all educational boards, while the HEC will develop a framework to promote cricket in higher education institutions,” he said.
