Lahore Qalandars coaching team arrives in Gilgit for players' development programme

GILGIT: Coaches and mentors of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Lahore Qalandars arrived in Gilgit on Sunday to kick off the third edition of the players' development programme.

Qalandars coaching panel headed by Aaqib Javed and comprising chief selector of the Pakistan cricket team Inzamam ul Haq and Shoaib Akhtar will conduct trials in the valley’s sports park on Monday.

Javed told Geo.tv, "This is a great initiative and a first of its kind. I have played cricket for 20 years but Gilgit was never identified before, so this is a very important step.” 

“This can open doors for players from Gilgit to show their talent to the world, and who knows if we can find another Salman Irshad from this valley,” he added.

CEO of Lahore Qalandars Atif Rana said the franchise doesn't just belong to Lahore and his team will work in every corner of Pakistan.

“It’s our aim to give hopes to players that they can become stars one day. We want to engage the youth of Pakistan in positive activities,” he said.

“People of Gilgit might have never imagined that they will meet stalwarts like Shoaib Akhtar and Inzamam, so it’s a great opportunity for all of them,” Rana added.

A team of 16 players will be selected from the trials to compete in players development programme next month.