Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced 'Pathway Junior Contracts' for young cricketers under the strategy of investing in youth and pathways cricket following a bottom-up approach.

The decision was made at the 67th meeting of the Board of Governors (BoG) of PCB on December 21 in Karachi.

They have also announced 'Pathway Cricket Foundation ' where PCB will appoint qualified coaches for young cricketers. These initiatives were presented by PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja and were fully backed by BoG.

Pathway Junior Contracts – Through strategic partnerships, the PCB will award 100 contracts to the most outstanding and bright cricketers under the ages of 11, 14, 16 and 19. Under this programme, the talented young cricketers will receive a stipend of PKR 30,000 per month and also earn 100 percent scholarship, which will provide them access to cost-free education at a leading local educational institution that, in turn, will help them become wholesome individuals.

Pathway Cricket Foundation – Again through a strategic partnership, the PCB will appoint highly qualified resident foreign coaches at the National High Performance Centre. These coaches will work very closely with 100 teenage cricketers to nurture and develop them and prepare them for future events, including the U19 PSL, which is marked for October 2022. These coaches will also be available to assist and help elite and emerging cricketers.

PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja: “In order to create a long-term sustainable process, it is essential that we continue to tap into, stimulate and motivate the youth’s passion and talent for cricket, whilst focusing on a bottom-up approach towards participation and making attempts to bridge the wide divide between pathways and Pakistan cricket journey.

“We feel that our Junior Contracts and Cricket Foundation initiatives will now play a decisive role in ensuring that raw talent from even the remotest and less privileged of areas in Pakistan reaches its full potential.

“Through these and various other initiatives, including an all-Pakistan Talent Hunt Programme, we aim to unearth the hidden talent and provide them absolute clarity at a very young age that the PCB will back, support and provide a clear pathway through which they can embark on their journey of representing Pakistan at an international stage.”