LAHORE   -   The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken a monumental step towards nurturing cricket talent across Pakistan by signing historic Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Capital Development Authority (CDA), and Inter-Board Coordination Commission (IBCC). This initiative aims to bolster cricket infrastructure and promote the sport in schools, colleges, and universities nationwide.

The signing ceremony, held at the CDA headquarters, was attended by PCB Chairman Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, Federal Minister for Education Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Federal Secretary Interior Khurram Ali Agha, Federal Secretary Education Mohiuddin Wani, CDA Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa, and senior officials from HEC, IBCC, and CDA.Key representatives who signed the MoUs included Director Domestic PCB Abdullah Khurram Niazi, Director Sports IBCC Muhammad Usman Khan, and Director Sports HEC Javed Ali Memon.

This collaboration will focus on organizing cricket tournaments and leagues at various educational levels, promoting the sport among both boys and girls across the country. The initiative includes establishing cricket academies in higher education institutions and enhancing women’s cricket. The HEC will support exceptional players with sports scholarships, further encouraging participation.

The PCB plans to provide specialized coaching courses for Physical Training Education (PTE) teachers and will deploy PCB coaches to schools for training camps. Additionally, the PCB will offer free training to ground staff and curators at higher education institutions, ensuring quality facilities for the players.

Top performers in school and college tournaments will have the opportunity to join PCB’s U17 and U19 teams, receiving training at High-Performance Centres. Selected players from inter-university championships will also benefit from annual training courses facilitated by the PCB. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “We are thrilled to embark on this historic initiative to develop cricket at the grassroots level. The organization of inter-school, inter-collegiate, and inter-university tournaments will enable us to discover and cultivate young talent throughout the country.”

Federal Minister for Education Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said:”Schools are the breeding grounds for talent. Many great players start their journeys at the school level. Under these agreements, the IBCC will coordinate tournament arrangements with all educational boards, while the HEC will establish a framework to promote cricket in higher education institutions.”