Karachi: As many as 291 teenagers will undergo trials for the six U-19 Cricket Associations sides, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced on Saturday.
The trials will be held from 11-19 September and will be conducted by a four-member selection panel comprising Saleem Jaffar, Sanaullah Baloch, Taufiq Umar and Wajahatullah Wasti, following which teams for the national U-19 tournaments will be announced. The selection panel will be supported by the coaches and assistant coaches of the six U-19 teams.
Each major cricket centre of every Cricket Association will host trial matches over two days. On 11 and 12 September, Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan, and Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad, will hold trials for Southern Punjab U-19 and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U-19, respectively.
LCCA Ground, Lahore, and Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi, will play hosts to trial matches for Central Punjab U-19 and Northern U-19 sides on 14 and 15 September after which trial matches to select the Sindh U-19 team will be staged at Karachi’s National Stadium on 17 and 18 September.
Bugti Stadium, Quetta will be hosting trial matches on 18 and 19 September for selection of the Balochistan U-19.
The players invited to appear for the trials include those who have represented Pakistan U-19, those who played U-19 tournaments in the 2019-20 domestic season, those who played U-16 tournaments in the 2018-19 and 2017-18 domestic seasons and top performers of the Inter-district tournament 2018-19.
“Strict Covid-19 protocols will be implemented to ensure health and safety of players. As such, temperatures checks will be done on entry points of the venues. Players will have to wear masks when not inside the boundary ropes and maintain social distancing at any given time. Sharing of equipment and use of saliva on ball will not be allowed,” PCB said.
The National U-19 One-Day Tournament and the National U-19 Three-Day Tournament will be played at Lahore, Muridke and Sheikhupura from 13 October to 29 November.