Pakistan’s cricketing pulse found in the streets of Quetta, Karachi & Hyderabad

It is rare in Pakistani cricket that a development program promises nationwide inclusivity and actually delivers, not just in numbers, but in hope, access, and transformation. The ongoing Lahore Qalandars-Prime Minister Youth Program (PMYP) cricket talent hunt is one such initiative that doesn’t just tick boxes, it redraws the map of where Pakistan’s cricketing future will come from.

From Quetta to Karachi, and now Hyderabad, the trials have become more than a mere selection exercise. They are a revolution in motion, an audition not just for cricketing talent, but for the very soul of Pakistan’s sporting grassroots. The sheer volume of participation, 17,000 in Quetta, 15,000 in Karachi, thousands more in Hyderabad, is not just a statistic. It’s a statement. A statement that passion for cricket in Pakistan is not confined to a few elite academies or cities. It breathes in the dusty fields of Balochistan, in the concrete patches of inner-city Karachi, and in the narrow lanes of Hyderabad.

This movement, led by Lahore Qalandars and sanctioned by the federal government through the PMYP, is unearthing the kind of talent we only saw in our dreams, raw, hungry, uncoached, but brimming with potential. It reminds me of football’s street legends, like the ones spotted in Rio’s favelas or the backstreets of Casablanca, who made it big because someone believed in their hustle. In Pakistan, we rarely believed, until now.

What makes this effort more meaningful is its structure. Two separate teams, boys and girls, from each region are being formed. Yes, girls too. That’s another revolution within a revolution. For a cricketing culture so long skewed in favor of men, this talent hunt says clearly: Pakistan’s next cricket icon could just as likely be a girl from Karachi or Hyderabad, not just a boy from Lahore.

The recently concluded Karachi trials, hosted at NED University, were a vibrant celebration of this inclusive spirit. Under the careful eyes of coaches Marina Iqbal and Riaz Afridi, and with the leadership of Qalandars CEO Atif Rana, the city witnessed the announcement of two full squads of 15 players each. These names may be unknown to the wider public today, but rest assured, they’re names you might see on national jerseys tomorrow.

The same story repeated in Hyderabad, where once again the energy, excitement, and raw skill left coaches and selectors stunned. These cities are not anomalies, they are the heartbeat of Pakistani cricket that had long been ignored.

Now, with each team selected, a new dream begins. These aren’t just trial squads; they are the scaffolding of a new cricketing ecosystem.

Atif Rana deserves immense credit for not just envisioning this model a decade ago, but for sticking with it. The Lahore Qalandars’ Player Development Program was always about planting seeds. Today, it’s a blooming forest. His statement, that this initiative has earned the trust of 15,000 boys and girls in Karachi alone, is not a boast.

It is a truth backed by every trial pitch filled to capacity and every hopeful young player clutching their kit with a dream in their eyes.

The partnership with the Prime Minister’s Youth Program has amplified this initiative to a national level. For once, political will and cricketing wisdom are in harmony. Rana Mashhood’s announcement of the National Youth Games scheduled for August 2025 is another landmark. It signals continuity, not just a one-off media event, but a pipeline leading somewhere tangible.

But let’s not pretend the work is done. These trials must now deliver consistent regional tournaments. The selected players must be nurtured, not just once but over time. That’s where the Lahore Qalandars High-Performance Center comes in. It can no longer be just a finishing school for Lahore’s elite. It must evolve into a national excellence hub.

We’ve had high-profile talent hunts before, sometimes more spectacle than substance. But this one feels different. This one is being built with sweat, structure, and sincerity.

As the trials move next to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, followed by Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, one thing is certain: the net has never been cast this wide. And when you cast a wider net, you catch greatness you never knew existed.

So, here’s to the young boy from Gwadar who bowls with Wasim Akram’s swing but never had a coach. Here’s to the girl from Larkana who can bat like Bismah Maroof but never had a platform. Here’s to the dreamers. Lahore Qalandars and PMYP have opened the door. It’s time the rest of us help keep it open.

sarfraznews12@gmail.com

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