Regional academy off to impressive start

The regional cricket academy began here at the National Stadium impressively under limited resources with some more sensible thinking required.

The academy, which covers Sindh and Balochistan, saw 30 of the 31 selected cricketers appearing on the opening day and securing valuable tips from former Test fast bowler Sikander Bakht.

However, the academy will be officially inaugurated on Tuesday by Omer Kureishi, the veteran columnist.

The arrangements to run the academy are excellent with the boys being provided hygienic and quality high protein diet to strengthen their bodies.

The net facilities are good too with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) providing new and old balls along with other practice equipment's.

A busy training schedule has been chalked out by the coach who plans to run his classes from 7.00 in the morning to 5.30pm in the evening with lunch and other breaks included.

While there will be regular coaching with three matches a week planned, Sikander has ensured that the gymnasium in the National Stadium was in perfect condition for utilization. The hall has most of the equipment needed for weight training.

Unfortunately, the gymnasium had been reduced to a store ever since it was set up in 1993 during the presidentship of Mr Justice Nasim Hasan Shah the then Board of Control for Cricket in Pakistan (BCCP).

However, the dark areas in the academy are the lodging facilities and the PCB's instructions to allow the local players leave after the conclusion of the day.

With the academy in its very early days, it will surely require some indoor nets as the monsoon season is due here sometime next month. It would be a shame if rains interrupt this high profile and expensive training programme.

Although the 10 outstation players have received air-conditioned rooms with all the required daily usage facilities, they have been lodged in the complimentary boxes situated on the right side of the main building.

It was observed that even three boys were put in a box. So much so, there were no proper bed and the boys had to settle for mattresses laid on the floor.

With 15 complimentary boxes available on one side of the pavilion, the least the PCB could have done was to provide improved lodging for the teenagers who are attending the camp from cities like Quetta, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas, Sibi, Hyderabad and Larkana.

But these issues are not as serious which couldn't be tackled, provided the cricket managers want to. But at least, PCB manager cricket operations Zakir Khan doesn't look keen to turn PCB chairman Lt Gen Tauqir Zia dream turn reality as he unnecessarily uses his authority and creates hurdles in the affairs of the National Stadium.

As regards other salient features of the regional academy, the PCB will award every participant a monthly stipend of Rs 5,000 along with breakfast, lunch, dinner and refreshments in between.

After a month, the PCB will organize inter-academy matches to see the progress of the boys and input of the coaches.

The training process will conclude in August and the graduates will then participate in the National Under-19 championships. The boys with extra-ordinary performance in the tournament, are likely to be picked by the National Cricket Academy being run directly under the wings of the PCB.

Tabish Nawab, Ahmad Shafi, Ashraf Ali, Mohammad Farooq, Khurram Ibraheem, Mohammad Fahim, Shoaib Akhtar, Irfanuddin, Mujtaba Amin, Amin-ur-Rehman, Adeel Malik, Sharjeel Ashraf, Daniyal Ehsan, Humair Shafaat, Pir Zulfiqar, Atif Ali Zaidi, Shafiq Ahmad, Arris Kamal, Mohammad Saleem, Sibtain Raza, Fahad Iqbal (Karachi), Sabir Hussain, Rashid Yousuf, Arun Lal (Quetta), Mohsin Raza, Fahad Ali (Sukkur), syed Rehan (Mirpurkhas), Pitras Masih (Sibi), Ashraf Khan (Hyderabad), Akhlaq Ahmad and Abdul Sattar (Larkana).