PCB Announces Nationwide Open Trials in 15 Cities to Scout New Talent

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a nationwide schedule of open trials across 15 cities as part of a new talent-hunting drive aimed at expanding Pakistan’s pool of professional cricketers.

According to the PCB, the trials will be used to shortlist around 350 players for 16 regional academies. The initiative is being described as a first-of-its-kind scouting and development exercise at this scale.

The open trials will begin from February 11, with a selection panel led by former Test cricketers. The panel includes:

Aqib Javed (PCB Director High Performance)

Misbah-ul-Haq (National Cricket Academy coach)

Abdul Razzaq (National Cricket Academy coach)

The group will travel to different venues to conduct trials in each region.

The first trials will be held at the PCB Ground in Sukkur, where players from the Larkana Region will get their chance to impress.

The 15 cities hosting the open trials are Abbottabad, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Hub District, Hyderabad, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Muzaffarabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Rawalpindi, Sialkot, and Sukkur.

The PCB says the selection panel will shortlist up to 24 players per region for all 16 regions. These selected players will then take part in a four-week specialized training program at their respective regional headquarters.

After the regional camps, the most standout performers will be invited to National Cricket Academy (NCA) camps. They will also be fast-tracked through a year-long skills development program within their regions.

PCB officials believe this structure will help regions strengthen their talent depth for intra-district and inter-district competitions, as well as broader domestic tournaments.

In addition to selecting players for academies, the PCB will also hand out on-the-spot cash prizes at each of the 16 venues for:

Best pacer

Best spinner

Best batter

Following the regional and NCA development camps, the PCB says the shortlisted players will be recommended not only for departmental and regional domestic teams, but also placed on a pathway that could eventually lead to PSL selection in seasons beyond 2026.

PCB expects the program to help more young players enter the professional structure through consistent scouting, structured coaching, and long-term development.

PCB Open Trials Schedule

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