Pacemaker Zeeshan Zamir, 19, pondered quitting cricket due to family issues but is now one of the PCB Pathway program’s top players. Zeeshan resumed his competitive cricket journey and was hampered by various obstacles early in his career that threatened his future.

The Karachi-based player had the problem of quitting district-level cricket and going to his mother’s hometown in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to have surgery, but the fees were covered by a local coach. I opted to stay after volunteering to assist with medical care to offset the bills.

Zeeshan’s father works as a driver for a private company in Karachi, and despite his father’s minimal financial assistance, he was always eager to go the additional mile to pursue his aspirations. Zeeshan has been awarded a monthly stipend of PKR30,000 and the opportunity to be trained by renowned coaches at the National High-Performance Centre for his outstanding exploits in the U19 circuit and a remarkable HBL PSL 7 outing with Islamabad United.

“The PCB Pathways Programs is a fantastic effort since I know how difficult it is for players from low-income families,” Zeeshan told PCB Digital.

“The players in the program will be in a better mental place and under less stress since the PCB will meet their financial needs and they will be able to assist their families as well.”