Lucknow: In an effort to promote school cricket, a press conference was organized by the School Cricket Association, where members and officials of the association were prominently present. The association’s president, Ajay Dobal, stated that promoting school cricket in the city is their primary responsibility. He expressed confidence that their initiative would provide numerous opportunities for thousands of young cricketers.
Senior Vice President and international player, Nighat Khan Lodhi, mentioned that efforts to promote school cricket had been ongoing for a long time, but the city’s cricket associations had largely ignored it. This led to the essential formation of the School Cricket Association. She further added that soon, the process of affiliating city schools with the association would commence on a priority basis.
Dr. Neeraj Jain, the chairman of the School Cricket Association and a well-known personality and former president of Lucknow University, emphasized that such an association should have been formed long ago to improve the direction and development of young cricketers. However, he acknowledged that it is better late than never and expressed hope that the association would significantly advance cricket in the city by removing all obstacles faced by young players.
The association’s secretary, Shanu Kazmi, who is also a cricket player and coach, addressed the press and shared his personal experience. He noted that the absence of school cricket in a large city like Lucknow was a major drawback. However, he received immense support from sports enthusiasts and senior players who motivated him to form this association. He revealed that the association has prepared a comprehensive plan for school cricket, which includes organizing competitions periodically. Talented players will be selected through these events and will receive specialized training through regular camps. He also expressed his gratitude to the state government for granting permission for the association’s formation.
The association is currently inspecting various grounds across the city and is in discussions to organize competitions. Their primary goal is to launch a School Cricket League during the summer vacation this year.
Prominent attendees of the press conference included Ratin Chakravarty, Anand Mani Jugra, Ajay Srivastava, Mohammad Shamim, Jobin Joy, Taufiq Ahmed, Azhar Khan, A.K. Pandey, and Omnath Puri.
