Former Test batsman and chairman of the national junior committee Basit Ali, co-selectors Ali Naqvi, Farrukh Zaman and Ali Zia along with local coaches will oversee the trials at different centres. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is finally back on track to revive its regional academies, where top performers from each region have been invited for a paid three-month specialised camp once they pass trials.
The trials of the 15 regional academies will begin on Saturday at the LCCA Ground in Lahore and Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar, and will go on till June 8 throughout the country.
Former Test batsman and chairman of the national junior committee Basit Ali, co-selectors Ali Naqvi, Farrukh Zaman and Ali Zia along with local coaches will oversee the trials at different centres in order to select the standout players.
Basit will personally supervise the trials in the Lahore, Sialkot, Hyderabad and Larkana centres. Farrukh will be present in Karachi, Dera Murad Jamali, Quetta and Fata regions while Ali will supervise the trials of the Peshawar, Islamabad, Abbottabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, and Bahawalpur centres.
The concept of regional academies was evolved in the tenure of former PCB chairman General Tauqir Zia, who established these specialised schools across all playing regions of the country in 2002.
Zia’s work continued for some years before Ijaz Butt came in as the PCB chairman and stopped the operations. Butt’s reasoning that it was a waste of money drew criticism from several quarters.
When Zaka Ashraf replaced Butt, there was renewed hope for the academies to restart but it failed to materialise.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2014.
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