“We have 12-13 highly talented players in the batch, which is a big plus for us,” said Basit Ali.
KARACHI: National junior cricket chief selector Basit Ali believes he has a talented contingent at his disposal as the training camp for Pakistan U16 probables continues at the National Stadium in Karachi.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is keen on producing quality players at a young age and has set a target of working at the U16 and U19 levels to overcome any weaknesses at a young age.
The top 32 players from around the country were picked by the junior selection committee on the basis of performance and potential.
“We have 12-13 highly talented players in the batch, which is a big plus for us,” Basit told The Express Tribune. “The main task is to fine-tune their skills. Once a youngster is highlighted, he should be groomed properly and his progress and performance should be tracked all the way to Pakistan U17, U19, A team and ultimately the national side.”
However, he questioned the commitment of coaches involved with the players, stating that one-on-one sessions on the cricketers’ skill set is one of the most important things for grooming the youngsters — something which is currently missing.
The junior selection committee will select the final Pakistan U16 squad after monitoring three one-day matches and a three-day match between two teams consisting of 16 players each.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Masroor, who guided Karachi U16 to this year’s national championship title and is working as assistant coach in the camp, feels that this is the best U16 group to come up in the last three to four years.
“This pool of U16 players is the most talented I’ve seen so far, and Pakistan will benefit greatly,” said Masroor.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 10th, 2015.
Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ