Bari wants more facilities at Hanif Mohammed centre

KARACHI: Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Waseem Bari has demanded that Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) provide all those facilities at Hanif Muhammad High Performance Centre in Karachi that are available at National Cricket Academy in Lahore.

Bari, who has recently been appointed as the head of the centre, told ‘The News’ that the top officials had agreed to his proposals and assured all possible help in this regard. He said the centre required a gym with advanced machines for physical training. The centre has 18 practice pitches, two grounds, a large hostel, a swimming pool, a press conference room, and other facilities, but it has not been utilised properly so far.

Bari said that availability of 18 turf wickets at the centre was great for the promotion of cricket coaching at the grassroots level. He said he would soon chalked out a programme for proper utilisation of all facilities.

He said that teams of schools, clubs and KCCA zones would be invited to practise at the centre for five days a week, and two days for matches.He said that the centre could play the same role as Jehangir Park in Saddar once did. The latter produced such cricketers as Intikhab Alam and the Muhammad Brothers, he said.

Bari said that he had asked the PCB bosses to appoint more coaches and grounds-men at the centre. He said that four grounds-men would be needed for the maintenance of 18 practice wickets and the two grounds.

He said teams of schools, clubs and other organisations which did not have their own grounds could use the facilities at the centre. He said he desired to produce star cricketers from this centre.

He said that the coaches currently serving at the centre were good. “But we also need coaches who have done ICC coaching courses,” he said. Bari mentioned that plans were being devised to utilise the centre for the benefit of cricketers of the southern region of PCB. He said he would invite former greats of the game to deliver lectures to youngsters. He said that an under-17 regional cricket coaching camp would be held here from February.