SWABI, March 5: District Sport Board (DSB) officials have said that a Twenty20 cricket tournament would begin at Gohati Cricket Stadium under the auspices of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) here on Tuesday (today).

Tariq Mohammad (district sport officer) and other members of the board told the media here on Monday that only the registered teams of the district will be allowed to participate in the tournament and the schedule of the event has already been dispatched to them.

He said that a total of 16 teams will feature in the competition.

In reply to a question, he said the main objectives of the tournament are to make the players familiar with the Twenty20 format and to promote cricket in the district by encouraging the youngsters.

“We have been encouraging the younger lot who will serve Pakistan longer in the game,” he said.

Tariq said Junaid Khan and Yasir Shah, the two youngsters of District Swabi, had already made it to the Pakistan team and all the cricketers of the district were proud of them.

“The inclusion of Junaid and Yasir in the national team has worked as a source of inspiration for the young cricket players of the district,” he said.

The tournament would be played on knock-out basis and the final is scheduled to be played on March 13.

He said Gohar Inqilabi, the PPP’s young wing provincial president, would inaugurate the tournament and Aamir Nawab, member of the PCB, is also expected to grace the ceremony.