KARACHI, May 16: Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA) is launching its Annual Talent Hunt Programme from June 1, says a KCCA press release issued on Friday.

This is the most popular and ambitions annual feature in the local domestic cricket calendar of the city organized during summer vacations in schools and colleges.

Shahid Afridi, Atiq-uz-Zaman, Shadab Kabir, Faisal Iqbal, Danish Kaneria, Hasan Raza and Muhammad Sami are the finds of this exercise.

Inter-zonal Under-15, under-17 and Under-19 tournament and coaching camps will be organized as part of this programme.

The seven Zones will hold open trials to select their representative Zonal teams for each tournament. KCCA is approaching various businesshouses and multinational companies for sponsoring the scheme, which will be spread over three months.

The first phase will start with KCCA Inter Zonal Under-15 cricket tournament from June first.

Sixteen representative Zonal Under-15 teams will play on group league basis.

Zone-III and IV have been allowed three teams each while the remaining Zones will enter two teams each.

Players born on or after Sept 1, 1988 are eligible to participate in this tournament.

Each batting side shall be allowed bat for a maximum of 50 overs with no restriction on number of overs to be bowled by each bowler so that bowler capable of taking 5 or more wickets could be explored.

To promote fast bowling, the first ten over in each innings have to be bowled by a bowler taking a start of 12 or more strides.

The facial scrutiny of Under-15 teams will be held on June 1, when the inaugural match will be played between KCCA Zone VI Whites and Zone III Greens Under-15 cricket teams, it concluded.—APP