SRINAGAR: BCCI president Mithun Manhas has assured continued support to the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), saying the Union Territory has sufficient talent to produce more players at the national level.
Speaking in Kashmir, Manhas highlighted the emergence of Baramulla-born pacer Auqib Nabi as an example of the region’s growing contribution to Indian cricket.
“I had said in an interview a few days before the West Indies series that Aaqib Nabi, who comes from Baramulla, has reached here after working very hard,” Manhas said.
He said the BCCI wanted cricket to expand further in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and backed efforts to provide opportunities for more players from the region.
“We want cricket to flourish in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and we want more and more players to emerge,” he said.
Manhas said the standard of cricket in J&K had improved, but stressed that the region’s emerging talent needed sustained support and development.
“You can see how the level of J&K cricket has gone up,” he said. “The hope in the coming days is that more players will come through because there is a lot of talent here. It only needs to be nurtured and they need to be backed.”
He also underlined the need to strengthen cricket infrastructure across Jammu and Kashmir, including facilities in districts beyond the traditional centres of Jammu and Srinagar.
Manhas said improved infrastructure would help the Union Territory host more major domestic and international cricket fixtures and reiterated the BCCI’s support for the JKCA in developing the game.
Manhas has previously called for more cricket grounds across the districts of Jammu and Kashmir, saying wider infrastructure would help identify and develop players from different parts of the Union Territory.
Auqib Nabi, who hails from Baramulla, recently made his India ODI debut, marking another milestone for Jammu and Kashmir cricket.
