PCB mulls drastic changes in junior cricket

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning a fresh start for the junior cricket as in the near future we may well have to see a foreign coach or director coaching for all age-limit teams.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi in a recent interview with ‘The News’ at Dubai International Sports Stadium hinted at making sweeping changes in coaching, training and selection of junior teams for national and international cricket.

“Let me share with you that PCB has planned big time changes in the junior cricket. We want to invest heavily in junior strings in the upcoming years. Nurseries are meant to throw talent to the top and as such needed to be looked after properly. Wherever the investment would be required we would do that,” the PCB chairman said while talking to ‘The News’.

He added that from here on junior cricket would be one of top priorities for the board.“We would take all possible steps to make sure that junior graduates are fully prepared to face teams at international stage. All these junior strings would be prepared in a way that would help them put up best show under pressure.”

Sethi admitted that some low scores by national Under-19 team were more due to players playing under pressure in crunch situation.“What we want is to make juniors mentally and physical tough and teach them the right approach to counter the growing pressure from other teams.”

Though Sethi was tight-lipped on notable changes the junior cricket would see in future, ‘The News’ has learnt that we might see director coaching or at least the appointment of a full-fledged mentor for the junior strings. Hiring a foreign head coach or director coaching is also a possibility.

There is also a plan to send junior strings on tours abroad. The national Under-16 team is set to tour Australia within a couple of months. Before the Junior World Cup in two years time, the national Under-19 team is also expected to play many teams abroad for much-needed international exposure.

After failing to put up a decent show in two back-to-back matches against Afghanistan in the Junior Asia Cup, Pakistan team was also bowled out cheaply by India in the semi-finals. Though junior Mansoor Rana had no genuine excuse for back-to-back batting flop, the absence of a mentor also contributed to players’ inability to put up a decent show.After realising urgency of the matter the PCB has decided to come up with a fresh plan to make nurseries at the junior level result-oriented.