Lahore Qalandars launches second edition of player development programme

KARACHI: The Pakistan Super League franchise Lahore Qalandars have launched the second edition of its players’ development programme, named the rising stars, in its quest to find new talent.

The programme will commence from August 27.

The PDP, to commence from August 27, will run in three phases with the talent hunt being the first phase. Sixteen players selected from each venue will form teams, which will participate in city-based tournament in the second phase. The third phase will see 15 players flying to Australia.

This time, the development programme will have players selected from Azad Kashmir as well. Trials to select teams from Azad Kashmir will be held in Mirpur on August 27 and 28 and in Muzaffarabad on August 30 and 31.

The Kashmir phase of trials will be followed by trials in various cities of Punjab including Rawalpindi (September 4 and 5), Sargodha (September 7 and 8), Layyah (September 10 and 11) Bahawalpur (September 13 and 14) and Lahore (September 16 and 17). Trials in Gujranwala will be held on September 19 and 20 and on September 22 and 23 in Faisalabad.

Fawad Rana, chairman of Lahore Qalandars, said that the players development programme is aimed at providing talented youth a platform to showcase their talent and excel in the field of cricket.

“We are a nation with a unique and proud heritage. We have a relentless, fearless zest for life and an abundance of talented youth,” he said at the occasion.

“Qalandars have created this platform for this youth to make its mark, to excel and showcase their talent across Pakistan and to the rest of the world through this PDP and Sydney tour,” he added.

The first edition of the programme held last year witnessed a footfall of over 113,000 Cricketers making it one of the biggest talent hunt programmes, not only in Pakistan but also in the cricketing world.

It also discovered a unique talent like ambidextrous fast bowler Yasir Jan and launched the careers of aspiring cricketers like Usman Qadir, Saif Badar, Mohammad Irfan and Ghulam Mudassar.

“The aspiring cricketers will not have to seek nationalities of developed cricketing nations for opportunities. All they have to do is to come to Qalandars and we will give them a chance at a competitive level,” said CEO Lahore Qalandars Atif Rana.

Atif added that like the previous edition, this time too the best four performers of the programme will be made part of Lahore Qalandars squad in the Pakistan Super League.