PCB Talent Hunt-cum-Mobile coaching begins in NWFP

PESHAWAR—PCB Under-16 Talent Hunt-cum-Mobile Coaching program got under way in different districts across NWFP on Friday.
Talking to newsmen, national coach Farrukh Zaman disclosed that he along with local coach Noor-ul-Haq and two national selectors Maqsood Ali and Kamil Nawaz witnessed more then 100 kids appeared in the trials, followed by five days coaching and three days target matches. He said that for the smooth sailing of the program PCB nominated Zafar Sarfaraz for Kohat with local coach Kamran Khan and two selectors Saifullah and Asghar Khattak, Irfanuddin for Swabi with local coach Rahim Ullah and selector Maqsood Ali, Arshad Khan with
local coach Zia Tanoli and two selectors Muhammad Asif and Arshad Iqbal Khan. He said that in the first phase the selected players would be taught game basic. The program will comprise two-days training; five-day basic coaching and three-day matches will be played. Farrukh Zaman said that 12 regional teams including FATA will be formed for the Inter-Regional competitions and among them 36 players would be selected for further grooming and training. Among 36 probables 16 will be short-listed for the National Cricket Academy where the trainees will be kept for a long term training program besides providing them education and other facilities. After the final selection, the players’ performance will be monitored after every six months and if any one could not improve, he would be
replaced with fresh face from the ongoing talent hunt program.
He said all expenses will be carried out by PCB for its long term planning in order to find out players for the future because all of them would be provided education as well. He said, in Dera Ismail Khan, youngsters from Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Bannu and Lakki Marwat appeared in the two days trials, at Kohat, players from Hangu, Karak and Kohat took part in the trials and in Swabi players from Mardan, Swabi and Buner took part while at Mansehra players from Batgram and Kohistan participated in the trials. Following is the schedule for other districts. Nov 1, 2007: The trials will be held at Peshawar where Nowshera and Charsadda players will participate. Arshad Khan with local coach Sajjad Akhtar and two selectors Muhammad Arif and Gohar Ali will conduct the trials.
Nov 14: At Swat he along with Pervez Khan and two selectors Muhammad Naeem and Safiullah Khan will conduct the trials in which players from Swat, Malakand, Shanglapar, and Dir Lower.
Nov 27, 2007: Arshad Khan with local coach Aziz Khan, and two selections Safiullah Khan and Maqsood Ali will hold the trials whereas players from Khyber Agency, Mohammad Agency and Bajaur Agency will appear, similarly on December 10, Farrukh Zaman, with local coach Saqib Faqir and two selectors Safiullah Khan and Arshad Khan will conduct the trials for Khurram Agency, Orakzai Agency and FR Kohat and the players of North Waziristan Agency, FR Bannu, FR Lakki will appear in the trials on Dec 10: at Bannu, Arshad Khan, Irfanuddin with two selectors Aziz Khan and Asghar Khattak will make the selection and on December 10, players from South Waziristan Agency, FR Tank and FR Dera Ismail Khan will be appearing in the trials at Dera Ismail Khan. Mohtashim Rasheed with local coach Muhammad Hamid and two selectors Ijaz Elahi and Kamil Nawaz will short-list the players.