JEDDAH — The Saudi Cricket Centre (SCC) hosted a dinner to honor the dynamic former captain of Pakistan Shahid Afridi and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) offical Iqbal Sikander at a local hotel here recently. Afridi is in the Kingdom to help SCC hunt new talent and is being supported in the endeavor by ACC Development Officer Sikander. The SCC is organizing the Talent Hunt Programs in Jeddah, Yabu, Dammam and Riyadh to commemorate its 10th anniversary. The SCC's Chief Executive Officer, Nadeem Nadvi, welcomed the guests along with SCC Advisor, Rohail Khan, Syed Qasim Naqwi, Sameer Nidal and other officials. Sikander, talking to Saudi Gazette, said the SCC is breaking new grounds for the development of cricket in the Kingdom. “To invite a figure like Shahid Afridi for the talent hunt trials will boost the morale of the young players as well as Saudi youth who want to show their skills,” he said. He expressed his satisfaction over the SCC moves in different areas such as infrastructure, tournaments, National T-20 championships, where all the Kingdom's cricket associations are participating, cricket academies, etc. Afridi was impressed by what he saw at the seniors' trials. “I am impressed by the senior players here. As for the Under-19 group, it needs more attention, coaching and training,” he said. Among those at the dinner were: Tahseem-ul Haq, Welfare Consular at the Consulate General of Pakistan in Jeddah; Hassan Kabir, SCC Chairman, dignitaries, businessmen, club officials and players. At the end of the dinner Nadeem Nadvi and Rohail Khan presented an Ajrak and souvenirs to Afridi, Sikander, Tahseem and Kabir.
