PESHAWAR: A trial to select a strong team for the forthcoming Big-3 ACL Twenty20 Cricket League in New York, USA completed wherein more than 300 players participated.
This was stated by Pakistan Cricket Board Level-2 coach and head of the selection committee international cricketer Muhammad Fayyaz while talking to APP here on Sunday.
Muhammad Fayyaz, who also did Level-II Coaching from Australia and England said the trials were conducted in Swat, Abbottabad, and Mardan wherein more than 300 players took part. He said the selection would be made purely on a performance basis for the forthcoming Big-3 ACL Twenty20 Cricket League so that the new players could get more venues for exhibiting their performances.
Muhammad Fayyaz is currently working with Pakistan Cricket Board as Assistant Coach in Abbottabad Region, played 71 first-class matches and scored 3098 runs, with 11 (the 50s) and got 44 wickets as a right spinner also represented the Pakistan-A team in New Zealand, England, Australia, Canada, said that we want to select the best team for the USA League so to achieve good results.
“It will be a new beginning for Pakistan’s young cricketers to play in the American League.” He said, “Our players have had stunning performances in England County but with the opening of new venues like the USA, the players would have shown better results in the League.”
He said, “They have conducted open trials and among them, the best players have been short-listed wherein a camp of longer duration will be set up in Peshawar and Swat on Shama Cricket Ground and Charbagh, Swat besides playing matches so that a good team can be compiled.”
He said, “Many of the Pakistani cricketers are now playing in the USA and now with the start of the participation of teams will add to help not only promote cricket in the USA but also the players would be able to make themselves financially strong.”
Muhammad Fayyaz, hailing from Swat and running his cricket Academies in Birmingham, UK, and Canada, said that he had invested more than Rs. 250 million in developing a cricket ground, gymnasium, cricket academy, two multi-purpose indoor halls, a 7-kilometer walking track in Charbagh, Swat with the aim to help the youngsters to come and play in a healthy environment.
“Swat suffered a lot due to insurgency and militancy and the youth of Swat was mostly confined to their homes due to terrorist activities but now with the military operations, Swat is coming to normal,” Fayyaz said.
“The youth have great talent and opportunities have been given to the youth of Swat as well in the team.”
“I can spend a good life in the UK and Canada, but I prefer to stay in my motherland Pakistan and serve my youth. Talks with the cricket organizers in the USA continued and hopefully, more such teams will also visit the USA for different competitions,” Muhammad Fayyaz, who also worked for Peshawar Zalmi as a selector, said.
Muhammad Fayyaz, who also played 32 T20 matches and scored more than 400 runs, disclosed the name of“Team Shaheens 92” who would participate in the USA Twenty20 Cricket League in September this year.
He said before going to the USA proper camp would be set up in Swat and Peshawar besides playing matches so the boys would be given competitive exposure before this important visit.