Lahore Qalandars, PM Youth Program unveil boys, girls teams after successful Karachi trials

The two-day cricket trials in Karachi, jointly organized by Lahore Qalandars and the Prime Minister's Youth Program (PMYP), concluded successfully with the announcement of 15-member boys’ and girls’ teams.

Held at NED University, the trials attracted thousands of young cricketers from across the city, all eager to join the Lahore Qalandars development system. After closely evaluating performances, coaches Marina Iqbal and Riaz Afridi, along with Lahore Qalandars CEO Atif Rana, announced the selected players at a press conference.

Speaking about the overwhelming response, Atif Rana said the turnout reflects the youth’s growing trust in the Qalandars system. 

“Our player development journey began 10 years ago, and many of today's top players emerged from this very program,” he stated. 

“Prime Minister's endorsement of our work empowered us to take this initiative nationwide,” he added. 

Rana further revealed that nearly 15,000 male and female players participated in the Karachi trials. 

“From here, we’ll move to Hyderabad and eventually form five teams from Sindh alone,” he further added. 

Under this program, five teams will also be selected from each province, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan.

These regional teams will compete in provincial tournaments, and standout performers will advance to a national tournament. Top national players will then receive professional training at the Lahore Qalandars High-Performance Center.

Coaches Marina Iqbal and Riaz Afridi praised the raw talent on display during the Karachi trials and lauded the PMYP-Lahore Qalandars initiative for providing such a large platform for young players.

Karachi girls' team:

Yesri Aamir, Alizeh Sabir, Arija Haseeb, Aamna Zahid, Taskeen Fatima, Kainat Iman, Aneza Arif, Syeda Batool Fatima, Shabnam Hayat, Masooma Jafri, Ubeera Riaz, Faiqa Tariq, Arij Aamir, Maryam Ahmed, Isha Naeem. 

Karachi boys' team:

Arman Shehzad, Abdullah Javed, Muhammad Siddiq, Umar Farooq, Zain Anwar, Hamza Malik, Ali Shoaib, M. Shaheer, M. Furman, Naveedullah, Syed Zain, Abdul Rauf, Muaz Shah Afridi, Abdul Jaleel, Syed Rehan Shah. 

The selected players thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PMYP Chairman Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan for partnering with Lahore Qalandars to launch this nationwide talent hunt. They also expressed their gratitude to Atif Rana and COO Sameen Rana, pledging to make the most of this opportunity and showcase their skills on the national stage.