Sprite Cricket Next holds Gali Cricket finals

Cricket fans gathered in large numbers at Ittefaq Ground in Model Town here to witness the Sprite Cricket Next City Championship final. Present on occasion was Pakistan’s swashbuckling batsman Imran Nazir, who participated as chief guest and delighted the audience with his exhibition of batting mastery. First launched in 2010, this is the second season of Sprite Cricket Next, an innovative campaign that aims to unearth hidden talent and pick the best street cricketers Pakistan has to offer. The 2011 Sprite Cricket Next format has teams of four players contending with each other to be crowned the first ever National Gali Cricket Champions of Pakistan. This activity is being held in 13 cities across the country. Sprite Cricket Next brings to the masses cricketing technology that was previously available only to professionals.
Players test their mettle in a specialized cricketing environment and get real time performance updates through speed-guns, action replays and wagon wheels. Each team taking part in the contest is assigned a computer generated unique ID and are provided with a summary of their performance as they progress through the rounds. Speaking on the occasion Fahad Qadir, Public Affairs and Communications Manager of Coca-Cola said, “The youth of our nation represents a vast reservoir of untapped cricketing talent. The streets where they play are akin to nurseries, from where the budding stars of tomorrow are groomed and nurtured. Sprite Cricket Next is not only a tribute to Gali cricket but also to the passionate cricket crazy fans that play it. Through innovative technology, Sprite has brought its unique twist to the traditional game of cricket to the streets of Pakistan and is providing cricketers a platform where they can assess and improve their abilities while showcasing their talent for the whole country to see.”