PCB plans talent-hunt in the province to launch U-18 teams and promote cricket – Rameez Raja
Karachi
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Chairman Pakistan cricket Board (PCB) Rameez Raja agreed on Tuesday to make Sukkur, Hyderabad hub of cricket matches.
The promotion of cricket in two cities was discussed during a meeting between them held at the CM House.
“Sindh has a lot of talent but we, the government and our institutions like PCB, would have to hunt it out and provide necessary patronage to the newcomers,” Shah said.
“Cricket has bright future in our country but for this purpose we would have to hunt the talent in rural areas, promote and patronize them, otherwise we would remain lagged behind in this popular professional sport,” he added.
Murad Shah said that his government has constructed a Sport Complex at Sukkur which has two cricket grounds, a football, one hockey and courts for squash, tennis and other sports. “I want the experts of PCB to visit and guide them to make these grounds fit for PSL and other national or international matches,” he said.
Chairman PCB assured the chief minister that he would dispatch his team to inspect the grounds and guide or supervise their development.
The Chief Minister and PCB Chairman agreed to make necessary arrangements to organize some PSL matches at Hyderabad.
Murad Shah said that Niaz Stadium Hyderabad has the best ground but only some repairs of the stadium were required. “I had already decided to maintain the stadium but due to the COVID could not take up the project but now time has come to develop the stadium,” he said.
The CM said that the players would stay at best rest houses of universities or to be taken Hyderabad from Karachi by air. “Whatever would be feasible would be carried out but it has been decided that Hyderabad being hub of the rural Sindh would be given national and international matches soon,” he said.
PCB chief Rameez Raja said that he has a plan to hunt talent from nook and corner of the province and would launch under-18 teams and would also promote domestic cricket in different forms so that teams from rural areas of Sindh and Balochistan could be brought forward.
The chief minister assured the chairman PCB of his full support for promotion of cricket in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur and would patronize newcomers. (PR)
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