JEDDAH — The Saudi Cricket Centre (SCC) in its search for fresh talent has taken the lead by conducting transparent trials for the Under-16 and Under-19 teams at the Hala Cricket Academy here Wednesday. The dynamic former cricket captain of Pakistan, Shahid Afridi, conducted the trials. The initiative to recruit and refine new talent has been received with an overwhelming response from the young cricketers not only from Jeddah, but also from Madinah and Riyadh. The trials for seniors in Jeddah are again scheduled at the academy here Thursday. Players from the Western Province Cricketing Association are also expected to participate in the trials. The trials in Dammam will, however, be conducted on Jan. 19 and in Riyadh on Jan. 20. The SCC aims to narrow down the list of players to around 50 with the help of the Talent Hunt Program. Mohammad Iqbal Sikander, a member of the 1992 Cricket World Cup winning Pakistan team has also arrived in Jeddah Wednesday to support the SCC along with Afridi in the ongoing program. Sikander is Development Officer of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
