KARACHI: Having taken the charge as head of the High Performance Centre (HPC) at National Stadium Karachi this week, former Pakistan captain and wicket-keeper Wasim Bari is optimistic that the HPC will play an important role in the development of the emerging cricketers of the Southern region of the country.

Speaking to Dawn in an exclusive interview here on Tuesday, Bari said: “The purpose of this high performance centre is to provide opportunities to the budding cricketers. The aspiring cricketers from interior Sindh and Balochistan can also use this platform and make the most of it. Unfortunately, the facilities, ranging from cement wickets to coaching services, available currently to the players in Karachi aren’t as good as they should be.

“Here at the HPC, we have two playing fields on left-hand side and right hand side with 28 wickets and 16 practice wickets. We are also building dressing rooms so that the commercial houses, schools and clubs can also use this facility. We will also try to encourage them to avail the services of this state-of-the-art centre at low rates,” he added.

Outlining the salient features of HPC, he said: “The Centre has 30 living quarters, an auditorium, a swimming pool and a gymnasium. HPC is a quintessential cricket facility. We will also provide sessions regarding the anti-corruption code and anti-doping code, keeping the ICC codes and protocols in mind. Not only will we help the players improve their cricketing skills, but we will also ensure to teach them how to behave with the players and match officials on the field.

“We also have plans of inviting current and former international cricketers as speakers to deliver lectures to the youngsters to improve their game and help them understand what representing Pakistan should feel like,” said Bari who also served as chief selector at PCB in the past. “The curriculum will be designed in a way that we will invite sports teachers who are passionate about cricket as well from top academic institutions.

“Our aim is to increase the cricketing activities. As long as cricket is being played and the youngsters are encouraged, the talent will nurture. We want to make sure that the youngsters stick to the basics of cricket.”

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2019