PESHAWAR: Former Pakistan Test fast bowler Mohammad Akram on Saturday said that the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) has loads of talent, adding if provided due chances to the upcoming lot they would certainly become future stars of the country.

Talking to reporters during the trials for the selection of Regional Cricket Association Fata team for the forthcoming Grade-II National Cricket Championship, Akram, head coach of the National Cricket Aca­demy (NCA), said the talent he witnessed during the trials in both batting and bowling was encouraging.

Akram, who played nine Tests and 23 ODIs for Pakistan between 1995 and 2001, said the potential he had witnessed during the Fata trials, was encouraging and if given that talent due room they would meet international level.

Akram said that anything for longer duration should have bear fruits. He said Fata cricketers were strongly built which was considered key to meet success in top-level cricket.

“It would be a challenging task to have more and more cricketing affairs in Fata and the rest of the area associated with RCA Fata like D.I.Khan, Tank, Bannu, Kohat, South Waziristan Agency, North Waziristan Agency, Mohmand Agency, Bajaur Agency, Khyber Agency and Kurram Agency,” he remarked.

“I will try my best to spot the top lot from the available U-23 age group in order to give extra exposure to young cricketers instead of picking old guns,” Akram said.

He said he along with Fata’s current coach Saqib Faqir (Kohat), fielding coach Shahid Javed (Rawal­pindi) monitored the performance of the players and would choose the best possible side.

Published in Dawn, August 31th, 2014