RAWALPINDI: Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Barrister Danyal Chaudhry on Saturday announced the start of merit-based cricket trials for the Rawalpindi Division Grade-II team, stating that the initiative is part of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s vision to promote sports across the province.

Speaking at the inauguration of the trials, Barrister Danyal said the chief minister had directed that “talent will be the only criterion,” adding that the process had been made fully transparent to ensure fairness for every aspiring player.

The selected team will be provided world-class training facilities, coaching, and all necessary resources by the Punjab government, he said.

The talent hunt programme will also be extended to all divisions of the province, offering equal opportunities to youth across Punjab. Mr Chaudhry expressed confidence that these efforts would produce players capable of bringing honour to Pakistan at national and international levels.

The event was attended by MNA Tahira Aurangzeb, Director General of the Horticulture Agency Ahmed Hassan Ranjha, officials of the Punjab Sports Board, coaches, and a large number of players.

Barrister Danyal appreciated their cooperation, terming institutional coordination for sports promotion under the chief minister’s vision as encouraging and promising.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2026