All teams had earlier picked 12 players from their own region; the dozen selected also included two Emerging Players. The ceremony was held in a cordial atmosphere as all eight regions tried their best to make formidable combinations for the most competitive four-day tournament in the country. The eight regions expressed their satisfaction at the smooth conduct of the ceremony and wholeheartedly accepted the new system which encourages meritorious selections.
The Director Cricket Operations Haroon Rasheed thanked the regions for their cooperation on the occasion and re-endorsed the PCB's trust in the regions. He said, "The regions are our arms; we want to give them maximum support since they produce talent at the grass root level and are the reason for Pakistan cricket's success at the highest level which has recently culminated in the historic Champions Trophy success. Our domestic system is on the road to improvement and that's the reason that the player selection ceremony was introduced this year to add a new exciting dimension for the players besides further encouraging the role of new blood through induction of two Emerging Players in each squad."
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017