How to choose a cricket academy or coach for your child in Pakistan

Pakistan has no shortage of cricket academies, from big-name set-ups attached to clubs to a single coach running nets in a park. For parents, the hard part is telling a good programme from a poor one. This guide sets out the questions worth asking before you sign up.

Qualifications and sessions

The Pakistan Cricket Board runs a formal coach education system. Its Level 1 course is aimed at grassroots coaching and covers technique, practical session planning, player management, athlete welfare and communication. In the 2025-26 season the board held Level 1 courses in Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Multan and Karachi, with the stated aim of building a larger pool of certified coaches for schools, clubs and academies.

The Level 2 course goes further, covering advanced batting, tactics across formats, biomechanics, sports psychology and conditioning for youth and senior players. A six-day Level 2 course was held at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore in June 2026.

Ask which PCB level the head coach and assistants hold, and when they qualified. A coach who has a recognised certificate has at least been trained in planning sessions and looking after young players. Playing experience is valuable, but it is not the same as knowing how to teach children.

Next, watch a session before you pay. A good junior session should be organised and busy. Look for:

• Small groups, so every child gets meaningful time batting, bowling and fielding.
• A proper warm-up and cool-down.
• Drills matched to the children's age, not adult routines copied wholesale.
• Coaches who explain and correct, rather than simply shouting from the side.

If children spend most of the session waiting in a queue for one net, that is a warning sign.

Safety and honesty

Check safety and welfare:

• Helmets and protective equipment should be compulsory whenever a hard ball is used.
• Young fast bowlers should have sensible workload limits; ask how the academy manages them.
• There should be drinking water, shade and a clear plan for heat, especially in summer.
• Ask who is responsible for the children during sessions and how parents can raise concerns.

Insist on honest age groups. Age fraud has long troubled junior cricket in Pakistan. In January 2022 the PCB suspended its national Under-13 and Under-16 tournaments after reports of over-age players and ordered fresh bone-age tests. Any academy that suggests 'adjusting' a child's age is doing them real harm: it puts them up against younger players, distorts their development and can get them banned. Choose a programme that is open about age verification.

Pathways, balance and the bottom line

Think about pathways, not promises. Be wary of any academy that guarantees selection for a district, regional or national side. Selection depends on performance in official competitions run by the PCB and its associations. A good academy will help your child play regular matches, explain how age-group trials work and encourage school and club cricket too.

Balance cricket with school and rest. Children improve fastest when they enjoy the game and have time to recover. Two or three well-run sessions a week, plus matches, is usually better than daily nets that leave no time for study, other sports or rest.

The best academy is not necessarily the most expensive or the most famous. It is the one with qualified coaches, organised sessions, a firm grip on safety and honesty, and a genuine interest in your child's long-term development.