KARACHI, May 7: Customs Cricket Academy (CCA) is launching an ambitious talent hunt mobile coaching program next week to unearth budding stars of tomorrow from remote areas of Sindh province.

Former Test paceman Jalaluddin, the project’s event director and head coach of CCA, told reporters on Wednesday that initially 40 youngsters will be picked from the interior of Sindh.

These boys, 20 each in U-14/16 and U-17/20 age groups, would then undergo extensive three-month training here at the CCA premises.

According to the schedule, CCA will conduct trials and coaching sessions in six selected zones from May 12 to 17. Trials for Zone-VI (comprising Sukkur, Khairpur and Ghotki) will be held at Sukkur on the opening day (May 12).

Similar trials then will be carried out at Shikarpur for Zone-V, which also includes Larkana and Jacobabad, on

May 13; At Nawabshah for Zone-IV region that involves Naushahro Feroz on May 14;

At Mirpurkhas for Zone-III

territories of Sanghar, Umerkot and Mithi on May 15; At Hyderabad for Zone-II also featuring boys from Kotri and Dadu on May 16 and at Thatta, for Zone-I, involving Badin as well, on May 17.

Jalal, a qualified ECB Level-I, explained that the basic aim and objective of this scheme is to spot hidden talent in far flung regions for further training.

The trainees for the CCA camp will be picked by a selection committee headed by Jalal with members Haris Khan, Waqar Hussain and Iqbal Waris co-ordinating.

According to Jalal, other qualified coaches like Iqbal Sikander, Farrukh Bari, Haris Khan, Waqar Hussain and Athar Laeeq will train three-day coaching in these cities.

The salient feature of this programme is that the CCAwill provide boarding and lodging expenses aas well as stipend to the selected youngsters.

Jalal disclosed that the project will cost CCA about Rs 0.5 million. CCA will generate half of the amount from its own resources will the rest will come through sponsorship.