PCB Talent Hunt Programme: Coaching clinic for 30 schoolkids held

In Lahore, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) conducted a coaching clinic for 30 school children alongside national men's cricketers, as part of their highly regarded PCB Talent Hunt Programme for Schools. This marks the second year of the programme, which aims to revive and bolster school cricket nationwide, ultimately serving as a cradle for future cricket talent feeding into the Pakistan Cricket ecosystem.

The esteemed coaches at the National Cricket Academy included Shaheen Shah Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, Abrar Ahmed, and Shahnawaz Dahani, who imparted their invaluable experience to the young attendees during a two-hour session at the NCA nets. Fakhar Zaman closely observed the batters in action and provided valuable advice on key elements such as balance on the crease, approach towards seamers and spinners, pacing a 50-over innings, and areas of improvement at their young age.

Shaheen Shah Afridi and Dahani were engaged with the aspiring pace bowlers, fielding their myriad questions on fast bowling skills and absorbing every word from the international cricketers, whom the youngsters had previously only observed on television. Abrar Ahmed interacted with the tweakers at the nets, offering guidance on bowling on different surfaces, variations in pace, and the significant time and effort required to evolve from age-group cricket to the professional circuit.

The second edition of the PCB Talent Hunt Programme for Schools is set to commence from the third week of September, running until December. This year, the program has grown from 39 districts to 100 and expanded from 450 schools to 1400, as academic institutions across Pakistan eagerly join forces with PCB in integrating cricket into co-curricular activities.

In 2026, the program was first initiated in July with School Cricket trials conducted by the PCB’s regional coaches, followed by training camps for all school teams, which are scheduled to continue until September 15th.