ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi on Thursday announced the launch of the Pindi Tigers cricket programme in collaboration with Lahore Qalandars, describing it as a major initiative aimed at identifying and developing cricket talent from Rawalpindi through a transparent, merit-based system.
Addressing a press conference alongside Lahore Qalandars Chief Executive Atif Rana and former Pakistan captain Younis Khan, Abbasi said more than 10,000 players from Rawalpindi had already registered for the project. Open trials will be held at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on June 19 from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.
He said the concept of Pindi Tigers had existed for a long time and was inspired by past efforts to form teams on merit at the union council level in Rawalpindi. Modern cricket facilities and development methods similar to those used in Australia had also been introduced in the city to help young cricketers progress.
Abbasi said 20 players would be selected through the trials and would receive professional training at the Lahore Qalandars High Performance Centre. He emphasized that the selection process would be conducted strictly on merit and that players representing Pindi Tigers would belong to Rawalpindi, enabling the city to establish its own cricketing identity.
The minister also called for greater regional representation in franchise cricket, questioning how many players from a city were actually included in the franchise carrying that city’s name. He advocated restoration of departmental teams in sports and said institutions such as Railways had historically played a crucial role in producing elite athletes.
Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan, who started his career in departmental cricket with Railways, credited the system for helping him reach the highest level of the game. “I have played cricket for Railways. Had I not received a departmental job, I probably would not have scored more than 10,000 runs for Pakistan,” Younis said.
He praised Lahore Qalandars for their grassroots development programme, saying the franchise had consistently identified talented players from across the country and provided them opportunities to succeed.
Atif Rana described Younis Khan as one of Pakistan’s greatest cricketers and said his praise for Lahore Qalandars was a matter of pride for the franchise. He said Rawalpindi’s talented youngsters would be given a fair opportunity through the Pindi Tigers project. Rana also revealed that one outstanding player selected through the trials would be sent to Guyana as part of Lahore Qalandars’ participation in the Global Super League next month.
Recalling the franchise’s successful talent hunt programmes, Rana said nearly 19,000 players had appeared for trials in Gujranwala in 2017, from where Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf emerged and eventually went on to represent the national team.
