RAWALPINDI: Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi on Saturday announced the formation of a cricket team named Rawalpindi Tigers, comprising youths from Rawalpindi, with trials scheduled to take place on February 14 and 15.
“Players domiciled in Rawalpindi will be included in the team purely on the basis of merit, and this team will not only participate in the PSL but will also be developed as a world-class team,” he said in a press conference at his residence.
Accompanied by Director General of Lahore Qalandars, Atif Rana, the Railway Minister said the trials would be held on February 14 and 15. “Any young person participating in the trials will be selected on merit,” he added.
He said CEO of Lahore Qalandars would guide the initiative. He further said that only Rawalpindi domiciled youths would be included in the Rawalpindi Tigers and the team would participate in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Thanking the CEO of Lahore Qalandars for visiting Rawalpindi, Mr. Abbasi said the franchise had played an important role in promoting cricket among the youth. “Pakistanis have a love affair with cricket. We are announcing the formation of Rawalpindi Tigers team, which will become a world-class team,” he said.
He said that he was a fan of Lahore Qalandars from the beginning. “We have provided sports facilities to the youth of Rawalpindi in colleges and schools. We are providing a major platform to the youth purely on the basis of their merit,” he said, adding that the trials would be sponsored by Capital Smart City.
On the occasion, CEO of Lahore Qalandars Atif Rana said that he had a long-standing relationship with Hanif Abbasi, who had provided great support during the trials of Lahore Qalandars in the past. He also praised the cleanliness system in Rawalpindi.
He said that Lahore Qalandars deserved praise for the Prime Minister’s youth program, under which trials were conducted for 300,000 children. He added that Hanif Abbasi provided facilities to the youth while serving the public.
“We will conduct trials in Rawalpindi before the PSL auction. We have teams in every region and school in Rawalpindi,” he said, adding that all trials would be conducted on merit and talents would be showcased to the world.
He said a development team would be brought in from outside to train the players. “Initially, a Rawalpindi Tigers club will be formed and 20 players will be selected in the first phase,” he added.
Published in Dawn, January 25, 2026
