LAHORE   -   Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi convened a meeting with several former cricketers to discuss player development and strategies to strengthen domestic cricket. The discussions aimed at addressing the national team’s recent performance and exploring ways to improve the domestic cricket infrastructure. During the meeting, recommendations were made to improve player fitness and performance, especially following the recently concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. The former players suggested enhancing the infrastructure for first-class matches and Under-19 tournaments, and proposed organizing more domestic matches during the summer season, similar to the winter schedule.

Key PCB officials, including COO Salman Naseer, Director High Performance Nadeem Khan, Director International Usman Wahla, and Director Domestic Cricket Operations Abdullah Khurram Niazi, were present. The former cricketers in attendance included notable names such as Abdur Rauf, Aamer Malik, Asim Kamal, Azhar Khan, Azhar Mahmood, Basit Ali, Haroon Rashid, Ijaz Ahmed, Intikhab Alam, Iqbal Qasim, M Sami, Rashid Khan, Saleem Altaf, Saleem Yousuf, Salman Butt, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Sadiq Mohammad, Shafiq Ahmad, Shafqat Rana, Sikander Bakht, Wajahatullah Wasti, Yasir Hameed, and Yasir Shah.

A significant outcome of the meeting was the consensus on the need to establish cricket academies under PCB’s supervision in various cities, and to improve coaching quality both at the domestic and grassroots levels. The former players also raised concerns about the quality of pitches and emphasized the importance of international-standard coaching.

The PCB chief expressed his commitment to implementing the suggestions from the meeting. “The consultation with former players will consistently take place to continue the betterment of Pakistan cricket. The PCB will go to all lengths to uplift the standard of the game in the country,” he said.

Naqvi added: “As many former players mentioned, the focus will be on improving the first-class game and the Under-19 tournaments. To accommodate more games during the summer season, we are exploring venues in the northern areas like Abbottabad and Hunza. We also recognize the need for high-quality coaching and pitch standards, and we will take urgent measures to achieve that.”