Pakistan, Saudi Arabia explore opportunities to promote cricket via training programs, bilateral tours
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi met Saudi Arabia’s Sports Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Turki Al-Faisal on Wednesday to discuss promoting cricket ties via joint training programs, bilateral tours and tournaments, the interior ministry said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia has seen a rise in cricket’s popularity in the Kingdom with the establishment of the Saudi Cricket Federation in 2020. The board has since then lined up a series of programs to promote the sport at home and prepare national teams to compete with the world’s best in the future.
Cricket was introduced to the Kingdom in the early 1960s by expatriates from Pakistan and India, after which local clubs began to take shape in the country. The Kingdom became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council in 2003 and was promoted to associate membership in 2016.
“The Federal Minister for Interior and Chairman PCB stated that the development of cricket infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, joint training programs, bilateral tours, and junior and youth-level tournaments can create new opportunities for the youth of both countries,” the interior ministry said in a statement.
