PCB XI to face Lahore Qalandars in T10 match at Narowal Sports Complex

LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) champions Lahore Qalandars will face Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) XI in an exhibition T10 match at the soft opening of the multi-billion Narowal Sports Complex on May 28.

Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Mirza Tahir Baig, Jalat Khan, Ahsan Bhatti and Ahmed Danyal will represent Lahore Qalandars, alongside cricketers from the franchise’s Players Development Programme.

Meanwhile, Kamran Akmal, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ilyas, Mohammad Akhlaq, Abbas Afridi, Abid Ali, Asif Ali, Sajid Khan, Ali Imran and Usman Qadir will be part of the PCB XI.

Local and U19 players will also feature in the match.

The decision to organise the T10 match was taken last week during a meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Planning Development & Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal.

“The key objective is to provide the best platform to the youth of the country to sharpen their skills. The complex provides the best setting and hopefully would help in grooming future generations in a big way. Youth of the country has huge potential to transform the country,” said Ahsan Iqbal while chairing the meeting.

Similarly, it was decided that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will start its advertisement campaign one week before the match and all the steps will be taken to facilitate the spectators and players. A huge number of spectators are expected to turn up at the stadium to watch the best available national and international cricketers in action.

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif is expected to be the guest of honour at the launching ceremony of the state-of-the-art Complex that provides the best international standard-setting for the athletes’ training.

The Narowal Sports City has 14 stadiums and gymnasiums for different games such as cricket, football, hockey, volleyball, squash, table tennis, lawn tennis, badminton, and other games besides swimming pools.

The previous PTI government handed over the Narowal Sports Complex funds misappropriation cases simultaneously to NAB and FIA. The change of power at the centre resulted in giving a clean chit to the project which is now heading for completion.

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