Indo-Pak Youth Cricket in Lucknow from tomorrow

Lucknow, Mar 23 (UNI) A five-match one-day series titled 'Indo Pak Youth Cricket Trophy' begins here from tomorrow.

Youngster Cricket Club (YCC) of Lahore will play five matches with Lucknow Cricket Academy (LCA), which is also the main organiser of the international event.

The 17-member Pakistan squad including coaches arrived here yesterday. the squad includes Umer Akmal, who is the younger brother of current Pakistan national cricket team wicket keeper Kamran Akmal.

Addressing a press conference here today, LCA secretary Mohsin Raza said the matches would be played in Lucknow and Unnao district.

The last match would be played on March 28.

Formed in early 1940s, YCC is one of the oldest cricket clubs of Pakistan and counts former Indian great late Lala Amarnath as one of its players.

It has produced several international stars from Pakistan including Nazar Mohd, Mudassar Nazar, Irfan Fazil, Mohd Jamil and Mohd Sami (not the current Pakistan player).

Coach Nadeem Zafar thanked the Indian government that their visa formalities for the tour were completed within a week.

''We entered India via Wagah border and arrived in Delhi on March 18,'' he informed.

Waxing eloquent on Indian hospitality, especially the 'City of Nawabs', assistant coach Tariq Cheema invited the LCA to play in Pakistan.

''We want to take this 'sporty' association to the next level and contribute from our side to making cricket a means to generate people-to-people contact,'' he observed.

YCC had also played club level cricket in Dubai and Nairobi, he informed.

Meanwhile, Mr Raza said he was looking for sponsors to start a South Asia club-level triangular cricket series featuring India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

''This will not only forge friendship and better understanding between the three countries, it will also groom players for international encounters".

The YCC squad comprises Fahad Hussain, Mohd Yasir, Sajid Ali, Faisal Mehmood, Imran Qazmi, Mohd Jamil, Mohd Farooq, Asim Abbas, Asif Yousuf, Shahwag, Anayat Ullah, Umer Akmal, Usam Ilyas, Faisal Khan and Mohd Asim.

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