Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has successfully concluded its inaugural School Cricket Talent Hunt Programme, uncovering budding cricket talent from across the nation. In a landmark initiative conducted throughout 2025, an impressive 405 school teams from 39 districts participated, engaging over 5,000 students in 827 matches.

The programme, launched in March, initially attracted interest from 2,939 schools. Following a rigorous selection process, trials were conducted in over 400 schools to form teams for the 40-over tournament. The initiative aimed to integrate education with professional cricket opportunities, as emphasized by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi during the programme’s inauguration.

The tournament culminated in additional competitions among the top schools in Faisalabad, Karachi, and Lahore, totaling 93 matches. The finals from each city were broadcasted, with winning schools receiving PKR 100,000 each. The PCB connected top performers with regional selection processes to nurture talent at the grassroots level.

Looking forward, top performers will be invited to the Regional Cricket Academies in 2026 for further development. PCB Director Domestic Cricket Operations, Abdullah Khurram Niazi, highlighted plans to expand the programme to 100 districts, emphasizing the pathway from school cricket to national representation.

The programme’s success is reflected in the positive feedback from participants and their families, marking a promising step for the future of cricket in Pakistan.