LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Engro Corporation Limited will collaborate for the development of cricket at the grassroots level, making Engro Corporation an official partner of the PCB Pathway Cricket Programme.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday, the two parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) naming this sponsored leg of the Programme the Engro Cricket Coaching Project.
Under this commitment, Engro Corporation will bear the cost of high performance coaches hired by the PCB to coach teenagers enrolled in the PCB Pathway Cricket Programme. The PCB-Engro collaboration will stand for a three-year period, extendable based on mutual consent of both the PCB and Engro Corporation.
Engro Cricket Coaching Project high performance coaches will be based at the National High Performance Centre in Lahore and will work at cricket venues across Pakistan for talent hunt and development. They will provide Pakistan’s young cricket talent with world-class and specialised training in various cricket disciplines like fast bowling, spin bowling, fielding/wicketkeeping, batting, and power hitting.
A total of 100 contracts for junior cricketers between 13 and 19 years of age were already announced in February as part of the programme.
Chairman PCB Ramiz Raja said: “One of our major objectives is to invest in pathway cricket to ensure our future cricketers get the best possible training in quality practice facilities across the country. The agreement that we have reached with Engro Corporation can potentially revolutionise pathway cricket in Pakistan.
“Through this three-year initiative, participants of the PCB Pathway Cricket Programme will be coached by some of the leading coaches from around the world under the Engro Cricket Coaching Project.
“The investment that we are making at the pathway/grassroots level is unprecedented and I am thankful that leading corporations of Pakistan like Engro have agreed to make substantial investments in shaping the future of Pakistan cricket; these investments will have a long-term effect that will change the landscape of the game in the country for generations to come,” he concluded.
President of Engro Corporation, Ghias Khan said: “Engro strongly believes that the Pakistani youth is blessed with great talent and passion – fundamental elements that are required to transform the country’s future. The key is to hone this enormous talent with the right leadership and development opportunities in all spheres of life, including sports. Recognising the positive role of sports in youth development, we have always endeavoured to support these initiatives.”
“We are very excited about this new collaboration with the PCB for launch of the Engro Cricket Coaching Project and look forward to continue playing a humble role in nurturing the future stars of Pakistan,” he added.
