PCB holds coaching clinic for schoolchildren with national stars

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) held a coaching clinic for 30 schoolchildren with national men’s cricketers at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) on Thursday as part of its Talent Hunt Programme for Schools.

The programme is being held for the second consecutive season under the vision of PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi to revive and strengthen school cricket across the country and develop it into a sustainable nursery for talent within Pakistan’s cricket ecosystem.

National cricketers Shaheen Shah Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, Abrar Ahmed and Shahnawaz Dahani attended the two-hour coaching session, sharing their experience and providing valuable guidance to the young players at the NCA nets.

Fakhar observed the batters during their net sessions and offered advice on various aspects of batting, including maintaining balance at the crease, approaching seamers and spinners, pacing an innings in 50-over cricket and identifying areas for improvement at an early stage of their development.

Shaheen and Dahani worked with the young fast bowlers, who asked questions about the art and skills of pace bowling. The youngsters were also thrilled to interact with international cricketers whom they had previously only watched on television.

Abrar, meanwhile, worked with the young spinners and shared insights on bowling on different surfaces, using variations, changing pace and developing as a spinner. He also highlighted the time and effort required to progress from age-group cricket to the professional level.

The second edition of the PCB Talent Hunt Programme for Schools is expected to begin in the third week of September and continue until December, with 1,400 schools set to participate across 100 districts.

The programme has been significantly expanded this year, with participation increasing from 39 to 100 districts and from 450 to 1,400 schools. Educational institutions across Pakistan have shown a willingness to work with the PCB to make cricket a permanent part of co-curricular activities.

The 2026 programme began in July with school cricket trials conducted by the PCB’s regional coaches. The trials were followed by training camps for all participating school teams, which are scheduled to continue until September 15.