LAHORE, Jan 30: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced plans to establish 16 regional academies aimed at uncovering hidden cricket talent, potentially shaping the future stars of the sport in the country.
In a joint press conference at the Gaddafi Stadium, Director High Performance Center Aqib Javed and Director Domestic Abdullah Khurram Niazi revealed that these academies will serve as foundational nurseries for the PCB’s High Performance Centers. The talent hunt program is set to commence on February 11.
PCB directors also confirmed that a series of open trials will take place in 15 cities across Pakistan, seeking to shortlist approximately 350 players for the regional academies. This is part of an effort to expand Pakistan’s talent pool of professional cricketers.
The selection panel, including former Test cricketers Aqib Javed, Misbah-ul-Haq, and Abdul Razzaq, will travel to various venues to conduct the trials starting from February 11. The trials will initially kick off at PCB Ground in Sukkur, targeting players from the Larkana Region.
The trials will be held in the following cities: Abbottabad, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Hub District, Hyderabad, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Muzaffarabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Rawalpindi, Sialkot, and Sukkur.
For each of the 16 regions across Pakistan, up to 24 players will be shortlisted to undergo a four-week specialized training program at their respective regional headquarters. The top-performing players from these camps will be invited to participate in the National Cricket Academy camps and will also proceed through a year-long skills development program within their regions.
Besides the shortlisting of players, cash prizes will be awarded on the spot to the best pacer, spinner, and batter at each of the 16 trial venues.
This initiative will aid the expansion of talent pools within the 16 regions for intra and inter-district, regional, as well as other domestic tournaments. After comprehensive development camps, the shortlisted players from the open trials will have opportunities to be recommended for various domestic team selections in departmental and regional tournaments, and also for HBL PSL selection for seasons beyond 2026.
This innovative scouting program is expected to offer numerous players a chance to benefit from PCB’s pioneering player development initiative, guiding them into professional careers.
Open trials dates and venues are as follows: (11 February – 1 May)
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
