Bahawalpur Royals crowned champions of the inaugural edition of PJL 2022

[Muhammad Saad]

Shahwaiz and Basit looks like mini Kohli and Sharma , proper cricketing shot and proper power hitting, no ugly hacks and lofts and Tayyab Arif looks like Babar Azam very pleasing to the eye in every shot he plays, let's hope they improve and have the same game against real Pacers and spinners.

 

[Nasty Naz]

225-3 for Bahawalpur. Pretty sure its the highest score of the tournament by far.

Gwadar Sharks will need to do something epic to chase this down.

 

[ethan hunt]

Shahvaiz has great power and timing for his age. Proper beast in the making, i like him better than Basit atm.
Tayyab is pure class, looks like a 12 year old and plays some amazing strokes in the gaps.

 

[asadee]

For once we are seeing some great Pakistani batting talent coming out together in a tournament

 

[hasanali]

Tayyab Arif is the kid I'm most impressed with. I have doubts about the age of the others but TA is legitimately under 17. He has a bright future I think.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

We used to churn up 2 or 3 decent batters after every u19 world cups but this lot looks more than decent and of worked properly 5/6 batters can have a great FC career with few of them becoming national players in coming years

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Basit , Shahwaiz, Habibullah , Saad Baig , Obaid Shah , Tayyab Arif, Minhas , all of them have great batting techniques as well as power game , all 7 of them can represent U19 national team and that team will be vastly superior to our U19 teams of past who mainly consist of 2 or 3 good batters and rest of them technically inept or lacking power game , Well done Ramiz Raja I hope this PJL continues and we unearth talented Pacers and spinners next season.

 

[ataullah]

Tayyab Arif is like Babar Azam

Shawaiz Irfan like Rohit Sharma

 

[Nasty Naz]

Wow Shamyl has come out to play too.

What a batting track that's been produced here.

 

[MenInG]

 

[Nasty Naz]

How tall is Shamyl? Looks like a rare Pakistani batsmen that's at a good height.

Kid definitely has power. Might need to work on his stance but he looks pretty legit too.

 

[Nasty Naz]

Zeeshan gets the big wicket of Shamyl first ball and that likely ends the hopes for the chase.

 

[shariqnoor]

I find Shamyl to be a much more quality batter than Basit. Basit might have scored big runs but he looks like a guy who would be totally dumbfounded when faced with 90mph bowling. Shamyl looks good though. Needs to be groomed by proper batting coaches.

 

[Nasty Naz]

Bahawalpur deservingly win. Great batting and had an excellent bowler in Zeeshan too.

Overall, a pretty fun tournament and it was nice to see so many talented youngster and got a big platform to show what they can do and plenty of them did. Hopefully a lot of these talented youngsters become even more focused to take their game to the next level.

 

[MenInG]

Bahawalpur deservingly win. Great batting and had an excellent bowler in Zeeshan too.

Overall, a pretty fun tournament and it was nice to see so many talented youngster and got a big platform to show what they can do and plenty of them did. Hopefully a lot of these talented youngsters become even more focused to take their game to the next level.

 

[MenInG]

Bahawalpur Royals saved their best for the Pakistan Junior League final when they played ruthless cricket to defeat Gwadar Sharks by 85 runs in front of over 10,000 spectators and PCB cameras at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday evening.

Bahawalpur’s X-factor* category players Shahwaiz Irfan and Mohammad Tayyab Arif struck electrifying half-centuries to help their side score 66.66 per cent runs in boundaries to post event’s highest total of 225 for three after being put into bat. Gwadar Sharks came out all guns blazing when they raced to 103 for four in the first half of the innings before collapsing to 140 all-out in 15 overs.

It was a sweet revenge for Bahawalpur Royals who had suffered a crushing eight-wicket defeat against Gwadar Sharks in the first Qualifier on Tuesday. In the preliminary round match, 12th of the competition, Bahawalpur Royals had defeated Gwadar Sharks by eight wickets.

Lahore-born Central Punjab right-handed opener Shahwaiz, named player of the final, was in sublime form when he stroked the fastest half-century of the tournament from 16 balls on way to an eye-catching 79 from 32 balls. His blistering innings included seven fours and six sixes – most by a batter in an innings in this first-of-its kind tournament.

In the company of Dera Murad Jamali-born Basit Ali, Shahwaiz switched a 95-run first wicket partnership in 46 balls, including a record 86 for no wicket at the end of the PowerPlay overs. Basit, who finished the tournament as the top-scorer with 379 runs with one century and two half-centuries, scored 35 from 23 balls with four fours and two sixes. He was later adjudged best batter and player of the tournament.

After Momin Qamar sent both the openers in the hut in a space of 29 runs, Sialkot-born Mohammad Tayyab Arif joined forces with Afghanistan’s left-handed batter Nangeyalia Kharote to add 87 runs for the third wicket in 53 balls.

Tayyab, who notched up his maiden -half century in 29 balls, scored a 34-ball 56 with seven fours and a six, whereas Nangeyalia belted three fours and two sixes in a 30-ball 47 not out.

If Bahawalpur batters collected 124 for two in the first half of the innings, they maintained the momentum by adding 101 runs for the loss of one wicket in the second half of the innings to finish with 225 for three.

Gwadar Sharks’ run-chase was led by left-handed Shamyl Hussain, who scored a 34-ball 67 with seven fours and four sixes. However, when he became Nangeyalia Kharote’s second scalp at the total of 96 in 9.1 overs, it was the beginning of the end for the side that had topped the points table with four wins in five matches, which became five wins following Tuesday’s win.

Nangeyalia completed an all-round performance when he followed up his 47 not out with three for 32. He was well supported by Mohammad Zeeshan (three for 28) and Sajjad Ali (two for 15)

For Bahawalpur Royals mentor Imran Tahir, this was the second trophy in as many years after he had won the HBL Pakistan Super League title with Multan Sultans in Abu Dhabi in 2021.

Scores in brie

Final – Bahawalpur Royals beat Gwadar Sharks by 85 runs

Bahawalpur Royal 225-3, 20 overs (Shahwaiz Irfan 79, Mohammad Tayyab Arif 56, Nangeyalia Kharote 47 not out, Basit Ali 35; Momin Qamar 2-34)

Gwadar Sharks 140 all out, 15 overs (Shamyl Hussain 67, Danial Ibrahim 19 not out, Arafat Minhas 19; Mohammad Zeeshan 3-28; Nangeyalia Kharote 3-32, Sajjad Ali 2-15)

Player of the final - Shahwaiz Irfan (Bahawalpur Royals)

Player of the tournament – Basit Ali (Bahawalpur Royals)

Best batter – Basit Ali (Bahawalpur Royals)

Best bowler – Mohammad Zeeshan (Bahawalpur Royals)

Best all-rounder – Arafat Minhas (Gwadar Sharks)

Best Fielder: Arham Nawab (Bahawalpur Royals)

*denotes players from Associate Member board players as well as promising local talent

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Bahawalpur deservingly win. Great batting and had an excellent bowler in Zeeshan too.

Overall, a pretty fun tournament and it was nice to see so many talented youngster and got a big platform to show what they can do and plenty of them did. Hopefully a lot of these talented youngsters become even more focused to take their game to the next level.

What it does is add another layer of expectation for PSL. Now fans we look to see who picks Basit, Shahwaiz, Arham Nawab, Zeeshan, Tayyab Arif, Habibullah, Saad Baig and Aimal Khan in the draft.

I would actually propose that PCB agrees with the franchises to extend the squads, I.e. two emerging players AND two PJL players per squad.

Emerging players will be those who’ll have played first class already, like a Saim Ayub, an Omair Bin Youssuf, Qasim Akram, Zeeshan Zameer etc.

This way, you don’t restrict the chances of the emerging players or the PJL lads.

I imagine that the PJL players be paid a lower salary than the Emerging players.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

To be fair 8-10 players I have noticed in the PJL are already better than some of the regular FC players , tells you alot about the merit in selecting FC squads.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

PCB must have include one slot in the playing XI for PJL players in PSL and 2 per squad.

 

[shamaan]

I find Shamyl to be a much more quality batter than Basit. Basit might have scored big runs but he looks like a guy who would be totally dumbfounded when faced with 90mph bowling. Shamyl looks good though. Needs to be groomed by proper batting coaches.

Shamyl needs to work on his technique don't like how he croutches down

 

[shamaan]

Minhas and Basit Ali are my two standout performers.

 

[MenInG]

Gwadar Sharks all-rounder Arafat Minhas has been named the captain of the Pakistan Junior League Team of the Tournament. Arafat, who was adjudged the best all-rounder of the tournament last night following the final, had a truly memorable event. With the bat he scored 178 runs (seventh most, average 35.60, strike-rate 130.88) while with his left-arm spin, Arafat took nine wickets at 17.67 to finish joint fourth on the bowlers chart.

Arafat’s inspirational performance, future potential and cricketing abilities impressed the distinguished members of the commentary panel that selected the team to such an the extent that he was named the side’s captain. The esteemed commentary panel that called the action in the 19-match event included Dominic Cork, Mike Haysman, Tino Mawoyo, Sana Mir and Sikander Bakht.

Five players from PJL champions Bahawalpur Royals, three from runners-up Gwadar Sharks and two each from Mardan Warriors and Gujranwala Giants (including the 12th player) form the team.

The combination selected by the commentators was as per the tournament rules of a minimum of two foreign players in the playing eleven.

PJL Team of the Tournament:

1. Basit Ali
2. Mohammad Tayyab Arif
3. Shevon Daniel
4. Luc Martin Benkenstein
5. Haseeb Khan
6. Arafat Minhas (captain)
7. Arham Nawab
8. Shawaiz Irfan (wicketkeeper-batter)
9. Abidullah
10. Mohammad Zeeshan
11. Mohammad Ismail
12. Matthew Tromp (12th)

Royals’ opener Basit – adjudged the player of the tournament and best batter of the tournament, finished as the tournament’s top run-getter with 379 runs at an average of 63.17 and a strike-rate of 150.40. The right-hander’s tally included the tournament’s only century and an unbeaten 91 against Warriors in Qualifier 2.

Royals’ Tayyab Arif, scored 155 runs at 38.75 including a classy 56 in the final and also took three catches in the Qualifier 2.

Shevon Daniel who hails from Sri Lanka is one of the two foreign players in the eleven. The left-handed batter, who represented the Gujranwala Giants, scored 176 runs at 44 with a strike-rate of 127.54.

Sharks’ Luc Martin Benkenstein had an impressive run at the top of the innings. The second foreign player to find a place in the eleven amassed 227 runs at 32.43 including two half-centuries at a strike-rate of 153.38.

Haseeb Khan, who represented the Warriors, scored 97 runs and took two wickets with his leg-spin.

Arham Nawab, who captained Royals in two matches, took 11 wickets with his 0ff-break bowling. He was also declared the best fielder of the tournament for his seven catches.

Royals’ wicketkeeper-batter Shawaiz Irfan (player of the final) who smashed a 16-ball 50 enroute a 32-ball 79 in the final was chosen as the team’s wicketkeeper. Shawaiz demonstrated his power-hitting abilities by hammering 10 sixes in the event – joint most. With the gloves in hand, he took four catches.

Abidullah’s high pace and new-ball skills helped him take nine wickets in six appearances at 17.78 for the Warriors.

Tall fast bowler Mohammad Zeeshan (best bowler of the tournament) was formidable with the ball throughout the tournament and also starred in the final with a match-winning 3-28 in three overs. He finished the inaugural PJL edition as the leading wicket-taker with 14 scalps at 13.29

Sharks’ new-ball bowler Mohammad Ismail took seven wickets, he produced a sensational three-wicket spell in the Qualifier 1 which laid the foundations of a thumping win for his side.

USA’s Matthew Tromp who took six wickets at 11.33 in a mere three appearances for the Giants was chosen as the 12th player.

 

[MenInG]

PJL has the potential to shape the future of our cricket: Shahid Afridi

• Shahid Afridi talks about his mentorship role for the Mardan Warriors in the inaugural PJL season and how the league can shape the future of Pakistan cricket

Lahore, 25 October 2022:

By Shahid Afridi

The Pakistan Junior League was a wonderful experience for me as I finally got an opportunity of working with U19 players, something that I had desired for since retiring from international cricket. I have always believed that the best coaching and skills development takes place at the age-group level as that is when you can groom a player and make the necessary technical adjustments.

Despite my tough schedule and commitments with the Shahid Afridi Foundation (SAF), I was delighted when the Pakistan Cricket Board offered me the mentorship role for the Mardan Warriors. I didn’t give it a second thought and immediately worked out my schedule to ensure that I remain committed to the two-week tournament window.

I joined the team a day before the beginning of the tournament in Lahore, it was a bit of an unknown for me but the moment I met the boys and the team management, I felt at home. We had to play the tournament opener at the beautiful Gaddafi Stadium, a venue that brings back so many memories for me, the GSL was one of my favourite grounds as a cricketer and some of my best Test and ODI performances were registered at the venue.

I really liked the opening ceremony that kick-started the tournament, especially the assembly of all six squads at the GSL outfield. That is a moment which the youngsters will cherish for a long time as in your teens you love the attention, and the limelight and the PJL was all about providing a world-class platform to not only our players but also the 24 who had gathered from around the world.

We started well with a resounding victory in our opener against the Rawalpindi Raiders. Our pace bowlers Aimal Khan, Abidullah and Mohammad Nabeel who set up the opening win for us, hugely impressed me.

The trio possesses the skills, swing and above all the pace to trouble the best batters, they have time on their side and I am sure we will see them deliver some exciting spells in the Pakistan Super League and hopefully for Pakistan in the years ahead. I was equally impressed by our openers George Thomas and Shahzaib Khan, and as I mentioned earlier, what made the PJL so exciting to watch and follow, was the presence for some of the big performing U19 players from around the world.

Thomas, Archie Lenham and Luc Martin Benkenstein amongst others are the players that we will hear about a lot. They should have long and fruitful careers ahead of them and I am sure that they will recall the PJL 2022 as an experience that they thoroughly enjoyed and gained invaluable experience from especially in handling the pressure of a competitive T20 tournament in front of a top-class TV and YouTube broadcast.

Besides our pacers, Shahzaib, Haseeb Khan and Daud Nazar created sparks of brilliance for the Warriors. Even though we lost out to a place in the final, I was proud of the way our players performed.

I really enjoyed working with the players, it was fun to help the batters and bowlers in their pre-match drills. The throw downs, catching practice and pre-match bowling drills were fun and made me realise once again that my passion for cricket was still alive!

The PCB deserves credit for coming up with this unique concept. The success of the first season augurs well for the future of the tournament. Within days players like Arafat Minhas, Basit Ali, Shamyl Hussain, Tayyab Arif, Aimal Khan, Uzair Mumtaz, Abidullah, Arham Nawab et al have become known to the Pakistan cricket fraternity and fans. They have progressed leaps and bounds in a matter of days and I am sure the experience plus the monetary gains that they have made will only make them hungrier for more.

At the end of it all, the PJL is meant for our future stars, it is a concept that is visionary and will bear fruits in the years to come. I look forward to contributing in the future PJL events and as always will remain available to serve Pakistan cricket in any capacity.

I owe it to the PCB, my fans and the game itself that has given me everything I have today!

 

[MenInG]

Will Najam Sethi's arrival signal the end of PJL?

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Dumbest idea I have seen any board come up with in a long time. Will blow up badly in Ramiz's face because he has made the mistake of thinking that average people are interested in watching no-name junior cricketers play T20 cricket.

I have seen Ramazan cricket tournaments with more commercial appeal than this. And I'm fairly certain that a fool like Ramiz hasn't bothered with something like market research to find out if there even is an audience for this product.

You can showcase talent without burning money and resources that PCB will by spending cash on getting overseas talent and marketing and promoting this thing. And it will be a massive waste of time and money because nobody is interested in seeing this.

And that's just the business side of it. The idea that junior cricketers, some of whom haven't even developed their basics of the game, need to play more T20 cricket is remarkably stupid. When cricketers are young the focus tends to be on getting them to play more FC cricket so that the technical aspects of their game are allowed to develop and they have a good base as cricketers. Ramiz wants them to play T20 cricket and learn to be T20 cricketers when most of them haven't even become good cricketers yet.

So yeah, I think its a remarkably stupid idea and that we have alot to lose.

Nice to be on the right side of history with this bonehead idea.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Context: PJL lost $4.3 million, while PRaja failed to pay many of the local players that participated in this league.

Yet another reminder that the PCB Chairman job should go to a professional with a background in the private sector. Someone who has been in positions of power and actually knows what it takes to market and sell a product, and be responsible for its failure or success. Rather than a fool who doesn't know anything about these things and tries to bring the first bad idea in his head to life, all with the PCB's money.