PMYP-Qalandars Cricket Talent Hunt Lands today
APP
ISLAMABAD: The next phase of the nationwide Cricket Talent Hunt Trials under the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP) is set to begin today (Wednesday) in Lahore.
The initiative is being jointly organized by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Lahore Qalandars. According to Lahore Qalandars CEO Atif Rana, the overwhelming participation from young cricketers across Pakistan reflects the nation’s enduring passion for the sport. He added that the enthusiasm isn’t limited to just the players—parents, cricket clubs, and local associations are also actively encouraging participation and nominating talented athletes.
“So far, more than 122,000 young players have registered and taken part in the trials held across various regions of the country,” he said. In Sindh alone, over 48,000 players turned up at trial venues in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, and Shaheed Benazirabad.
In Balochistan, 14,000 participants from five designated regions gathered at the Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences (BUITEMS) in Quetta. In Southern Punjab, trials in Bahawalpur and Multan collectively drew over 26,000 players. Faisalabad recorded around 20,000 participants, while more than 12,000 young cricketers joined the trials in Sargodha.
HEC Director Sports Javed Memon said that such large-scale participation is evidence that the initiative is effectively engaging youth in positive, healthy, and competitive activities.
Teams from HEC, the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, and Lahore Qalandars are actively present at the venues to ensure a transparent selection process and to give young players full opportunities to showcase their talent. Following the two-day Lahore trials, the next phases will be held in Sialkot and Rawalpindi.
