PCB signs MoUs for School, College, and University cricket development

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Capital Development Authority (CDA), and Inter-Board Coordination Commission (IBCC) for holistic development of cricket in the country. Over the years, the level of Pakistan’s domestic cricket has dropped and the apex council has decided to partner with various institutes to improve the quality.

The signing ceremony took place at CDA headquarters in the presence of 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. The MoUs were signed by the Director of Pakistan’s domestic cricket Abdullah Khurram Niazi, the Director of Sports IBCC Muhammad Usman Khan, and the Director of Sports HEC Javed Ali Memon.

Notably, this deal will ensure more youth cricket and tournaments while the focus will also be on the development of women’s cricket. Multiple cricket academies are expected to be set up and sports scholarships will also be provided to encourage students.

PCB also has the idea to provide specialised coaching courses for Physical Training Education (PTE), who will latercoach the students. As per the deal, the top performers will have the opportunity to join PCB’s U17 and U19 teams and will also be permitted to train at High-Performance Centres in the country.

“We are thrilled to embark on this historic initiative to develop cricket at the grassroots level. The organisation of inter-school, inter-collegiate, and inter-university tournaments will enable us to discover and cultivate young talent throughout the country,” PCB head Naqvi was quoted as saying by The Nation.

Federal Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui also expressed his satisfaction with the development and talked about the importance of grooming talent at an early age. “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,” he said.