National under-19 tournament from today

LAHORE: Teenage cricketers from the six Cricket Associations begin their quest for the National Under-19 One-Day Tournament from Tuesday (today).

The event, which serves as a steppingstone for these players to graduate to the Pakistan under-19 side, will be played across Lahore, Muridke and Sheikhupura.

Sindh will be eager to defend the title with Rs1 million on offer as the winning prize. The runners-up will bag Rs500,000. The players will have the incentive to bring out their best performances in every match as the man-of-the-match will get Rs10,000 for every league match. The best performers of the tournament – best player, best batsman, best bowler and best wicketkeeper – will receive Rs50,000 each and the man-of-the-final will be awarded Rs20,000.

This year’s tournament will be played on double-league basis and the top two teams at the end of the league stage will compete in the final on November 2. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, all six teams are lodged in a Lahore hotel in a bio-secure bubble.

The teams have practised at the National High Performance Centre and the Gaddafi Stadium in the lead-up to the tournament. The Under-19 One-Day Tournament will be followed by National Under-19 Three-Day Tournament, which commences on November 5.

Balochistan captain Mohammad Ibrahim Snr said they were very excited and looking forward to the tournament which provided them an opportunity to make a name. “The training camp at the National High Performance Centre and Gaddafi Stadium provided us the chance to sharpen our skills and now our team is ready to make an impression with our performances on the field,” he added.

Central Punjab captain Mohammad Huraira said that being part of a bio-secure bubble is a new experience. “Besides practice, the players are keeping themselves busy by playing indoor games. But, now, we are focused on winning the tournament and excelling in all three departments of the game,” he added.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain Abbas Ali said they were very happy having practised at the National High Performance Centre and the Gaddafi Stadium which had world-class facilities. “Our squad has a number of Pakistan Under-16 players and we hope they will perform well. Our target is to lift the trophy,” he added.

Northern captain Mohammad Raza-ul-Mustafa said they had some very talented batsmen and potent fast bowlers. “I have full belief in my team that we can surely lift the trophy. I feel this will be a very exciting event,” he added.

Sindh captain Saim Ayub said they were thankful to PCB for arranging the tournament in the prevailing situation. “All players and support staff are following the protocols and now is the time to concentrate on cricket. We have a strong team and I am confident we can defend our title,” he added.

Southern Punjab captain Mohammad Shehzad said their team had some really talented players. “We will approach the tournament with an aggressive mindset and strategy. We are returning to the cricket field after a long gap . . . we are eager to perform and win the title.”

Tuesday’s fixtures

Balochistan vs Sindh at LCCA Ground, Lahore

Central Punjab vs Southern Punjab at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

Northern vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at Country Club Ground, Muridke.