OUR STAFF REPORTER
LAHORE
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi has praised Lahore Qalandars’ player development initiative, under which five emerging Pakistani bowlers will travel to Zimbabwe to compete in the country’s full domestic cricket season, gaining valuable experience in both red-ball and white-ball formats.
The initiative, undertaken in collaboration with Zimbabwe Cricket, aims to strengthen pathways for young cricketers and provide them with opportunities to develop their skills in a competitive international environment. The announcement reflects Lahore Qalandars’ continued focus on identifying promising talent and preparing players for professional cricket. The five selected bowlers are fast bowlers Abu Bakar, Ahad Aziz and Fazal Ur Rahman, along with spinners Abdul Ali and Fiaz Ur Rehman. Their selection follows different talent-identification programmes conducted across Pakistan, highlighting the franchise’s efforts to discover players from diverse backgrounds.
Abu Bakar, 21, from Lahore, and Ahad Aziz, 21, from Muridke, earned their places through Lahore Qalandars’ Player Development Programme trials in 2025. Abdul Ali, 22, from Gujranwala, and Fiaz Ur Rehman, 23, from District Okara, were identified through the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, under which the franchise conducted trials in 28 cities during 2025. Fazal Ur Rahman, 21, secured his place through the Pindi Tigers trials held on the directions of Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi.
The latest initiative builds on Lahore Qalandars’ previous exchange with Zimbabwe, when five bowlers, Salman Mirza, Jalat Khan, Mamoon Riaz, Muhammad Adil and Hamza Sajjad, participated in the country’s domestic season in 2023–24.
That experience proved valuable for several players. Salman Mirza and Jalat Khan emerged among the leading wicket-takers in the competition. Salman subsequently became a title-winner with Lahore Qalandars in PSL 10 and earned a call-up to Pakistan’s national team. Jalat Khan and Hamza Sajjad also progressed to the Pakistan Super League, representing Pindiz and Islamabad United, respectively, while Mamoon Riaz and Muhammad Adil have continued playing domestic cricket. Speaking at the announcement, Naqvi commended Lahore Qalandars for investing in grassroots development and encouraged other franchises to contribute to the growth of Pakistan cricket. “Pakistan cricket will grow when all the franchises work together for the betterment and development of grassroots cricket,” Naqvi said, adding that Lahore Qalandars had established a strong record in this area. He also praised the facilities developed by the franchise at its high-performance centres.
Lahore Qalandars owner and team director Sameen Rana said the opportunity would allow the five bowlers to experience a different cricketing environment, test themselves against new challenges and improve their professional readiness.
MOL Pakistan joins embassy to celebrate Hungary’s National Day
Rana thanked Naqvi for attending the announcement and supporting the initiative, describing the opportunity as recognition of the franchise’s 11 years of work in player development. He stressed that the programme went beyond talent identification by providing young cricketers with the training, confidence and competitive exposure needed to progress.
Source: www.nation.com.pk
