By Ghani ur Rahman
PESHAWAR: Renowned and qualified cricket coach of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Irfanuddin Babu, has said that the future of women’s cricket in the province is not only promising but has the potential to produce national-level stars—provided that consistent efforts, proper planning, and qualified coaching are ensured at the grassroots level.
Talking to media during an ongoing women’s cricket match at the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Peshawar Ground, Irfanuddin Babu emphasized that serious and long-term measures are essential for the sustainable development of women’s cricket. He urged both government and private institutions to adopt a sincere and structured approach, while encouraging female cricketers to pursue the game with discipline, dedication, and continuous hard work.
On the occasion, the experienced coach also delivered an informative lecture to the players, offering practical tips on modern cricket requirements. He guided the women cricketers on the fundamentals of batting, bowling, fielding, and game awareness, highlighting the importance of understanding cricket laws and match temperament۔
Irfanuddin Babu stated that if women players in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are provided with proper coaching, regular playing opportunities, and a consistent training environment, the emergence of players like Janta Jaleel and Sana Mir is only a matter of time. “These girls have talent; what they need is direction and continuity,” he remarked.
Criticizing short-term activities, he said that sports festivals and exhibition matches alone cannot produce quality players. According to him, real talent flourishes through long-term planning, structured training programs, and relentless effort. He stressed that appointing qualified coaches in educational institutions and academies is crucial to identifying and grooming talent at the grassroots level.
Expressing concern, Irfanuddin Babu pointed out that most educational institutions in the province lack trained and certified coaches, not only in cricket but in other sports as well. As a result, many talented players fail to reach their potential. He added that recent matches clearly reveal that several women players are unfamiliar with basic rules of cricket, which reflects the absence of proper coaching.
He further lamented that large sums of money are being spent on organizing tournaments, but without quality coaching, such investments yield no meaningful results. “When coaching standards are poor, neither players nor the sport benefit—this is nothing but a waste of resources,” he asserted.
Concluding his remarks, Irfanuddin Babu demanded that if authorities are genuinely committed to promoting women’s cricket in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, coaching must be made the foundation of all development plans, shifting the focus from temporary events to sustainable and long-term strategies.
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