Pakistan Cricket Academy
The National Cricket Academy in Lahore — plus PCB’s high-performance centres in Karachi and Multan. Facilities, trials, history and how the pathway really works.
Last updated: 11 October 2026
NCA founded, Lahore
High-performance centres
Age-group pathways
Approved biomechanics lab
Inside this guide
In this guide
Everything about Pakistan’s cricket academy system, verified from PCB sources.
The Flagship
National Cricket Academy, Lahore
The finishing school for Pakistan’s future stars, next to Gaddafi Stadium.
Founded
The PCB’s own records date the academy’s birth to 2003; it began full operations in 2004 as the board’s game-development headquarters.
Location
Adjacent to Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore — the academy sits at the heart of Pakistan’s cricket infrastructure.
Royal visit
On 17 October 2019 the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited the NCA — the first British royal visit to the academy.
The NCA runs the PCB’s age-group pathway — U15, U17 and U19 programmes — plus emerging-player and specialised coaching camps. In October 2026 former captain Aamir Sohail visited to review the development programmes, with Director of High Performance Aqib Javed briefing him on the pathway structure and the Athlete Management System that tracks every player’s progress — read Aamir Sohail’s NCA review. Full profile: National Cricket Academy Lahore explained.
The Network
The Three High-Performance Centres
Revived in 2025 as part of the PCB’s domestic restructuring.
| Centre | Focus | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Lahore (NCA) | National bench strength | Top performers; fitness, technique and mental resilience |
| Karachi | Women’s cricket | Pakistan women’s team and emerging female talent |
| Multan | Under-19 | Preparing the U-19 squad for the ICC U-19 World Cup |
Source: PCB domestic restructuring announcements, May 2025, via Geo Super.
Inside the Academy
Facilities and Technology
The NCA of 2026 looks very different from the one of 2003.
Biomechanics lab
An ICC-approved biomechanics lab — used for testing bowling actions — is being relocated back into the NCA from a Lahore university, centralising analysis under one roof.
Modern training tech
An AI-powered bowling machine is installed at the academy, alongside the Athlete Management System that tracks player development and performance data.
Fitness regime
Since July 2026, padel is a compulsory part of NCA training camps — 40 minutes every alternate day — to build agility, reflexes and stamina.
More coming
The PCB plans basketball courts and an indoor hall with snooker and other games to round out the high-performance environment.
Trials & Admission
How to Join: The Pathway
There is no walk-in admission to the NCA — selection runs through performance.
Players reach the NCA by performing in domestic age-group cricket, regional tournaments and PCB talent-hunt programmes, where junior selectors identify them for U15, U17 and U19 camps. Private cricket academies across Pakistan — in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and beyond — offer coaching for a monthly fee and feed players into district and regional trials. Our step-by-step guide: how to join a cricket academy in Pakistan.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions people ask most.
Where is the National Cricket Academy of Pakistan?
Can anyone join the National Cricket Academy?
What are the PCB’s high-performance centres?
Who is the Director of High Performance at the PCB?
Does the NCA have a biomechanics lab?
How much are private cricket academy fees in Pakistan?
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Facts on this page are drawn from PCB press releases and announcements reported by Geo Super, Cricket World and the Times of India (via PTI) in 2025–2026.