Long term solution: School cricket should be revived in Pakistan

[IAJ]

I was watching the match between SL v India and i had not seen 3 of SL's top order batsmen before.

I have heard school cricket in SL is well established. SL keep producing these young talents, and I assume school cricket has alot to say when we now see these dickwellas, chae walas and doodh walas.

Earlier I often heard there were very tough rivalries between colleges in Pakistan, both in Lahore and Karachi, and probably other cities too and many early Test cricketers were product of school cricket.

These competitive rivalries need to be back so we can get some good young talents coming through.

I dont have much knowledge about this, just using common sense looking at SL and that we actually had tough school cricket before.

 

[khurram39]

Off course... you see raw talent in first class which should be in schools and polished in first class.

 

[Hawkeye]

[MENTION=18398]IAJ[/MENTION] you're right, but nobody focuses really on sports now at the school or college level.

Most schools/colleges don't even have a ground or facilities to play these sports. Let alone having a proper hard ball team for it.

If by any chance some school/college does have a ground, it's very amateurish and at best decent for tape ball/tennis ball cricket.

 

[Ellipsism]

If I am not wrong there was a school tournament played earlier in the year.

 

[Savak]

Which college student from a middle class or upper middle class family attending IBA, Lums, AKU e.t.c would consider a cricketing career?

 

[TQ89]

I am not much familiar in this topic. But i assume schools require government funding for school cricket

 

[Specialisttailender]

Not sure why school cricket isn't big in India either. Mumbai school cricket scene is pretty famous but it doesn't attract 1000s of people to a match. Saw few youtube clips and it seems like some schools have been facing each other for over 100 years. Sri Lanka only gained Test membership in 1980s but school cricket has been happening for over 100 years it seems and hence they are able to attract 10000+ people to the ground for a school cricket match. I can see sponsors and bookies corrupting if our school cricket was to be this big.

 

[CleverSir]

Which college student from a middle class or upper middle class family attending IBA, Lums, AKU e.t.c would consider a cricketing career?

It is because there is no professional structure in Pakistan for them to consider a career. In established systems (Australia, Eng, SA, NZ) even if a player never makes it to the national team they can play up to almost 20 years while getting paid enough to be able to support a family. That doesn't exist for our players, so of course guys from those top schools won't consider cricket a career.

 

[Savak]

It is because there is no professional structure in Pakistan for them to consider a career. In established systems (Australia, Eng, SA, NZ) even if a player never makes it to the national team they can play up to almost 20 years while getting paid enough to be able to support a family. That doesn't exist for our players, so of course guys from those top schools won't consider cricket a career.

Graduates from these schools can consider Cricket Broadcasting, commentary as a career if we have the media channels for it.

 

[Syed1]

Wasn't there a massive school cricket tournament earlier this year with thousands of schools participating. I think it was called Kardar Cup

 

[big_gamer007]

Not sure why school cricket isn't big in India either. Mumbai school cricket scene is pretty famous but it doesn't attract 1000s of people to a match. Saw few youtube clips and it seems like some schools have been facing each other for over 100 years. Sri Lanka only gained Test membership in 1980s but school cricket has been happening for over 100 years it seems and hence they are able to attract 10000+ people to the ground for a school cricket match. I can see sponsors and bookies corrupting if our school cricket was to be this big.

in my days focus was more on studies and in 90s we were a kinda poor country and sports was the last thing one would consider as career option..

Also in schools you generally had 1 games period a week for 1 hour and most of the times it was absorbed by some stupid teacher to complete their course but when it was not Cricket could not have been an option as only few people would get to do something so football/volleyball/basketball was a more viable option where atleast all kids get something to do..

There was after school cricket coaching but the matches against other schools were never given enough footage and most kids didn't knew when the match happened..

I guess in today's india school cricket has the potential to be big all over India if someone inside BCCI or sports ministry comes up with a good vision and proceeds with implementing a proper structure..

 

[Specialisttailender]

in my days focus was more on studies and in 90s we were a kinda poor country and sports was the last thing one would consider as career option..

Also in schools you generally had 1 games period a week for 1 hour and most of the times it was absorbed by some stupid teacher to complete their course but when it was not Cricket could not have been an option as only few people would get to do something so football/volleyball/basketball was a more viable option where atleast all kids get something to do..

There was after school cricket coaching but the matches against other schools were never given enough footage and most kids didn't knew when the match happened..

I guess in today's india school cricket has the potential to be big all over India if someone inside BCCI or sports ministry comes up with a good vision and proceeds with implementing a proper structure..

I think it is same through out desi land but even if we could get elite schools to participate it will start a culture among lesser privilege schools. Groups can be divided into North, South, East, West and Central. We are the land of hype, we can market this very easily. However, cricket is already an elite sport, every batsmen is from a wealthy family, poorer bowlers end up as fast bowlers due to genetics ability. I can see favoritism, corruption and politics ruining the whole thing but if it is done fairly it can be a gem.

 

[Mamoon]

I agree, and I have stressed on this topic many times before. Due to time constraints, can't make a lengthy post right now, but the lack of proper school cricket structure has narrowed down Pakistan's talent pool. Children from the upper/middle class are not able to consider cricket as a career, which was not the case back in the 50's, 60's, and 70's.