Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has said Pakistan has no shortage of cricket talent. He believes school cricket will help discover young players and prepare them for the national team. He shared these views while addressing an event at the University of Central Punjab in Lahore on Saturday.
Naqvi acknowledged sustained criticism of the national team’s performances in recent years. However, he said the PCB was taking several steps to improve player development and promote cricket. He stressed that Pakistan had considerable talent but needed better ways to identify and develop promising players.
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The PCB chairman recalled that selectors struggled to find new players for the national team two years ago. He said the situation had improved, with greater attention now focused on identifying and utilising existing talent. Naqvi also praised Aqib Javed and others for their efforts to develop players.
Naqvi announced that the PCB had launched school cricket for the first time. He said Lahore currently had teams representing 1,400 schools. The board expects that number to exceed 3,000 school teams next year, expanding opportunities for young cricketers.
According to Naqvi, the initiative aims to give young players opportunities to demonstrate their abilities. School-level competitions could also help the PCB identify promising cricketers for future development. He said these efforts would strengthen the talent pool available to Pakistan’s national team.
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Naqvi also announced financial rewards for school cricket teams. Starting this year, the winning team will receive Rs20 million, while the runner-up will get Rs10 million. The PCB expects these prizes to encourage participation and increase interest in school-level cricket competitions.
The PCB chairman further revealed plans to organise a women’s cricket championship from next year. The proposed competition aims to promote women’s cricket and provide players with more opportunities to showcase their skills. Naqvi emphasised that school cricket and other competitions would help Pakistan develop new players and strengthen its cricketing future.