LAHORE: The National Cricket Academy (NCA) hosted its second schoolkids coaching clinic as part of the PCB Talent Hunt Programme for Schools, with students from Star School receiving mentorship from national stars Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Nawaz.
The clinic was designed to provide young cricketers with exposure to elite-level training and guidance. Shaheen worked closely with the pace attack and also shared batting tips in the nets, while Haris focused on refining fast-bowling techniques. Mohammad Nawaz, meanwhile, outlined key aspects of spin bowling, ensuring the youngsters gained insights into multiple disciplines.
The coaching clinic comes amid the rapid expansion of the PCB Talent Hunt Programme for Schools, which has grown from 39 districts to 100 and from 450 schools to 1,400 schools within a year. Training and preparation camps for all participating schools have been underway since mid-August, building momentum for the second edition of the tournament.
The competition is scheduled to begin on September 19, with the opening match at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. Around 21,000 schoolkids are expected to feature in this year’s edition, following the successful inaugural season in 2025.
During Tuesday’s session, the Star School players remained focused as their techniques were observed and analysed by the national cricketers. The excitement at the nets was palpable, with the youngsters eager to learn from their mentors. After the clinic, the schoolkids also had the opportunity to watch the national players’ training routines at the NCA, further inspiring them to pursue higher-level cricket.
