LAHORE: The two-day talent hunt trials, jointly organized by Lahore Qalandars and the Prime Minister’s Youth Program, concluded successfully in Karachi, with the announcement of 15-member boys and girls teams.
The trials took place at NED University, where thousands of aspiring cricketers participated with hopes of joining the Qalandars system. Following the trials, coaches Marina Iqbal and Riaz Afridi, along with Lahore Qalandars CEO Atif Rana, announced the selected players in a press conference.
About the trials PMYP-Lahore Qalandars trials in Karachi, Atif Rana said that the massive turnout reflects the trust of youth in Lahore Qalandars. “Our player development journey began 10 years ago, and many of today’s top players emerged from this very program,” he said. “The prime minister’s endorsement of our work empowered us to take this initiative nationwide.”
He added that nearly 15,000 male and female players came forward in Karachi, showing their faith in the Qalandars system. “From here, we will move to Hyderabad and eventually form five teams from Sindh,” he added.
Lahore Qalandars CEO further elaborated that under the program, five teams each will be formed from every province, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. These teams will participate in regional tournaments, from which the best players will qualify for the national tournament. The top national performers will be trained at the Lahore Qalandars High-Performance Center.
Coaches Marina Iqbal and Riaz Afridi praised the raw talent and enthusiasm shown by players during the Karachi trials. They appreciated the PMYP-Lahore Qalandars talent hunt cricket trails initiative at such a huge level, which was widely participated by cricket enthusiasts across Karachi and the best talent earned their placed in the 15-member boys and girls teams.
The selected girls team (Karachi) includes Yesri Aamir, Alizeh Sabir, Arija Haseeb, Aamna Zahid, Taskeen Fatima, Kainat Iman, Aneza Arif, Syeda Batool Fatima, Shabnam Hayat, Masooma Jafri, Ubeera Riaz, Faiqa Tariq, Arij Aamir, Maryam Ahmed, Isha Naeem.
The selected boys team (Karachi) comprises Arman Shehzad, Abdullah Javed, Muhammad Siddiq, Umar Farooq, Zain Anwar, Hamza Malik, Ali Shoaib, M. Shaheer, M. Furman, Naveedullah, Syed Zain, Abdul Rauf, Muaz Shah Afridi, Abdul Jaleel, Syed Rehan Shah.
The newly selected boys and girls players thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chairman of PMYP Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan for partnering with Lahore Qalandars in this landmark nationwide talent hunt that will play a pivotal role in unearthing genuine cricketing talent from every corner of the country.
They also expressed gratitude to Lahore Qalandars CEO Atif Rana and COO Sameen Rana and expressed firm determination to make the most of this opportunity and prove their talent on the national stage.
