Now, home-grown T20 action in Punjab, govt okays cricket league

Chandigarh: Punjab govt on Monday approved the launch of Punjab Cricket League (PCL), which has been planned on the lines of the Indian Premier League (IPL), with district and regional teams and backed by institutional partnerships with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA).An official said PCL was intended to identify, groom and channel young talent into professional pathways, while simultaneously building a wider ecosystem of district- and state-level leagues across multiple sports. He said it would also help keep youth away from drugs.
CM Bhagwant Mann posted on his social media: "Today in Chandigarh, held a meeting with senior officials of the department of sports and youth services to discuss various issues, with a focused deliberation on promoting sports culture across the state. All officials were directed to make their maximum contribution towards encouraging youth to take up sports, with the objective of building a healthy and fit society. The govt is consistently working to restore sports culture in Punjab and to reconnect the youth with playgrounds across the state."Chairing a review meeting of the sports department, Mann said the state govt would tie up with the Punjab Cricket Association and the Board of Control for Cricket in India to organise the league, with the objective of grooming young talent from across Punjab. He added initiatives played a transformative role in world cricket. "Cricketers like Imran Khan and Arjuna Ranatunge gave several renowned players to world cricket through similar initiatives, and this league will go a long way in emerging Punjab as a nursery of cricketing talent," he said.