Bahawalpur Royals crowned champions of the inaugural edition of PJL 2022

[ask_analyse_act]

Will this work? Smart idea or a gimmick? Will this provide an input to PSL's emerging category?

whatever the young gen perform , if MISBAH is there anywhere in the setup , they wont get a chance until they are 30 years old..

he selects players on their age unfortunately..

 

[MenInG]

Salman Butt :

“There are no players who can mentor youngsters in Pakistan. There is no one. We don’t even have soil to put on wickets in Pakistan, and you are talking about mentors. You have to bring drop-in pitches from different country, soil from different country, coaches and mentors from different countries. Bring a chairman from some other country too, no? There’s nothing to talk about on this"

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

Salman Butt :

“There are no players who can mentor youngsters in Pakistan. There is no one. We don’t even have soil to put on wickets in Pakistan, and you are talking about mentors. You have to bring drop-in pitches from different country, soil from different country, coaches and mentors from different countries. Bring a chairman from some other country too, no? There’s nothing to talk about on this"

Looks like Salman wanted to be a mentor as well for the pay check.

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Salman Butt :

“There are no players who can mentor youngsters in Pakistan. There is no one. We don’t even have soil to put on wickets in Pakistan, and you are talking about mentors. You have to bring drop-in pitches from different country, soil from different country, coaches and mentors from different countries. Bring a chairman from some other country too, no? There’s nothing to talk about on this"

A shame but symptomatic of all institutions in Pakistan. Salman is not wrong.

 

[anonymous_guy]

Salman Butt :

“There are no players who can mentor youngsters in Pakistan. There is no one. We don’t even have soil to put on wickets in Pakistan, and you are talking about mentors. You have to bring drop-in pitches from different country, soil from different country, coaches and mentors from different countries. Bring a chairman from some other country too, no? There’s nothing to talk about on this"

Atleast Pakistan doesn't need to import fixers. They have an abundance of it.

 

[MenInG]

 

[MenInG]

The rumours were there is little interest in owning teams....

 

[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.

 

[Bewal Express]

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.

But it will showcase talent and that is never a bad thing in PK cricket because of the number cricketers who are left behind as they dont have the resources to make it. I say go for it. We have nothing to lose

 

[Bewal Express]

The rumours were there is little interest in owning teams....

Give away the franchises for free. They get their own sponsorship to stand on their 2 feet

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

But it will showcase talent and that is never a bad thing in PK cricket because of the number cricketers who are left behind as they dont have the resources to make it. I say go for it. We have nothing to lose

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.

 

[Bewal Express]

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.

People will watch but you have to balance the costs with the benefits. I don't have the figures and I am assuming the costs aren't going to exceed income by too much.

Whether we like it or not. T20 is what the kids watch and play and that won't change if the PCB don't buy into it. They have still play the 3day game and the 50 overs but as long as they aren't losing too much, I see more upside than down.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

People will watch but you have to balance the costs with the benefits. I don't have the figures and I am assuming the costs aren't going to exceed income by too much.

Whether we like it or not. T20 is what the kids watch and play and that won't change if the PCB don't buy into it. They have still play the 3day game and the 50 overs but as long as they aren't losing too much, I see more upside than down.

???

No they don't. Any serious cricketer who comes into cricket cannot be taken seriously until he does well in FC cricket.

The kids that you are referring to want to watch T20 cricket with big-name stars and world-renowned professional cricketers. They don't want to see amateur hour T20 cricket with no-name kids.

Well you shouldn't assume because PCB is not exactly a rich and prospering organization that has its financial house in order. Just recently they were fighting with PSL franchises over revenues. Only recently have they started to see some money come in because of the PSL, until a few years ago they were incurring massive losses by having to hold series in UAE. And if this venture ends up failing PCB is going to feel it. Do you not find it curious that literally no board in the world has tried this idea? Even the BCCI which has more money to burn than any cricket board on the planet would never spend money on something as stupid as this. And they could legitimately get the best talent pool of young cricketers on the planet if they wanted to.

 

[Bewal Express]

???

No they don't. Any serious cricketer who comes into cricket cannot be taken seriously until he does well in FC cricket.

The kids that you are referring to want to watch T20 cricket with big-name stars and world-renowned professional cricketers. They don't want to see amateur hour T20 cricket with no-name kids.

Well you shouldn't assume because PCB is not exactly a rich and prospering organization that has its financial house in order. Just recently they were fighting with PSL franchises over revenues. Only recently have they started to see some money come in because of the PSL, until a few years ago they were incurring massive losses by having to hold series in UAE. And if this venture ends up failing PCB is going to feel it. Do you not find it curious that literally no board in the world has tried this idea? Even the BCCI which has more money to burn than any cricket board on the planet would never spend money on something as stupid as this. And they could legitimately get the best talent pool of young cricketers on the planet if they wanted to.

If they had it on, will you watch? I certainly will and 99% of the PK supporters will and so will many casual fans.
Whats stopping players doing well in FC cricket if they play this league? Do you think that these players dont play tape ball cricket or partake in T20 tournaments?
As far as the finances are concerned- neither of us know what the details are. As we dont then we cant really comment.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

If they had it on, will you watch? I certainly will and 99% of the PK supporters will and so will many casual fans.
Whats stopping players doing well in FC cricket if they play this league? Do you think that these players dont play tape ball cricket or partake in T20 tournaments?
As far as the finances are concerned- neither of us know what the details are. As we dont then we cant really comment.

I wouldn't. Because I don't care about it at all. And I suspect there are many others like me. Again, you're assuming that "99% of PK supporters will watch it" just because you want to. But fact of the matter is that most people have a very limited amount of time on their hands these days. And if they are taking time out to watch TV in this day and age---when average people have such short attention spans and where the internet dominates every aspect of life---then there really has to be something to grab their attention. And there is nothing about this that grabs my attention. So what makes you think that it will grab the attention of the casual cricket fan? who by far outnumbers the hardcore cricket fan.

 

[Savak]

The PCB wanted a Title Sponsorship of Rs 15 Crores per year for the first 3 years. The max bid they got was Rs 3 crores due to which they have extended bidding.

The PCB will have to spend out of pocket and prove the product early on. The same thing happened with the PSL early on. Once confidence in the product develops only then will people increase their bids.

 

[Bewal Express]

I wouldn't. Because I don't care about it at all. And I suspect there are many others like me. Again, you're assuming that "99% of PK supporters will watch it" just because you want to. But fact of the matter is that most people have a very limited amount of time on their hands these days. And if they are taking time out to watch TV in this day and age---when average people have such short attention spans and where the internet dominates every aspect of life---then there really has to be something to grab their attention. And there is nothing about this that grabs my attention. So what makes you think that it will grab the attention of the casual cricket fan? who by far outnumbers the hardcore cricket fan.

If its on, People watch to see the next big thing. Its the reason they watch the U19 WC where the quality is generally poor. We need investment and publicity for the U19 cricket and this is a good way. Nothing to lose but everything to gain

 

[Bewal Express]

The PCB wanted a Title Sponsorship of Rs 15 Crores per year for the first 3 years. The max bid they got was Rs 3 crores due to which they have extended bidding.

The PCB will have to spend out of pocket and prove the product early on. The same thing happened with the PSL early on. Once confidence in the product develops only then will people increase their bids.

Too much and thats why it failed. Need to keep it simple.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

If its on, People watch to see the next big thing. Its the reason they watch the U19 WC where the quality is generally poor. We need investment and publicity for the U19 cricket and this is a good way. Nothing to lose but everything to gain

You could do this exact same thing with a fraction of the money and resources if you just get 5-10 international junior cricketers and put it on YouTube like you do with domestic cricket.

That would be the logical thing to do to see if the product has legs rather than just launch it into the market hoping it will have an audience. People don't turn up for Pakistan's matches in Karachi and Lahore. What makes you think they will turn up for this?

Anyway we'll see how it goes. For the record, I think it will be an unmitigated disaster that PCB will eventually have to abandon but not before they have lost a ton of money on it.

Rather than putting money into women's cricket, which actually needs some serious investment, PRaja and co. think this is something actually worth wasting time, money and resources on. I just hope that when this blows up in PRaja's face that we can finally be rid of him as PCB Chairman.

 

[Titan24]

I know there have been some critique on the idea from various quarters but, actually I am excited to see how it goes with some pretty solid mentors, marketing etc.

Never got convinced with the stance "U19 guys shouldn't play T20 cricket as their game would suffer". Two-three weeks of T20 cricket cant stop there development or growth, they will have rest of the year to work on those aspects. However, closely working with international cricket veterans like Imran Tahir, Miandad Malik, Munro will give them that extra confidence while matches being televised would mean very early exposure to pressure and the eyes watching you. Not something they can learn any other way at junior level, so these 15-20 days can only add something not subtract.

Financial success would be completely dependent upon packaging of the product in the season 1. So far good going. It will help U-19 guys learn from mentors, come into limelight, work on their pressure handling and temperament in a high profile tournament, there are no two ways about it however at the end the feasibility of a product lies in its commercial success which would be the key here.

U-19 cricket world cup has been a pretty decent success for ICC if I am not wrong, yes mainly due to national teams involved. However, if packaged well city based junior T20 league can be turned it a success as well as the U-19 WC where most players are unknown to most viewers shows that if you can create a certain association with the teams and the product there is a market for even U-19 setup as well.

 

[MenInG]

Wasim Khan speaking to the media:

"It was good to hear about U19 Junior League and Women's PSL. I hope they go well and bring some talent in these categories of the game,"

 

[MenInG]

Two cricket legends Sir Vivian Richards of the West Indies and Pakistan’s Javed Miandad, will reunite at October’s Pakistan Junior League after King Viv was named as one of the team mentors by the Pakistan Cricket Board. Richards joins Javed, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Daren Sammy, Colin Munro and Imran Tahir as league mentors.

The inaugural edition of the tournament will run from 6-21 October at the headquarters of Pakistan cricket, the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

Richards and Miandad dominated world cricket with their breath taking talent and match-winning performances in the 1970s and 80s. They last played against each other in the Nehru Cup final in Kolkata on 1 November 1989 when Pakistan won by four wickets with one ball remaining.

Richards has also been a part of Quetta Gladiators’ campaign in six of seven HBL Pakistan Super Leagues and also helped them win the title in 2019.

Richards, a two-time World Cup winner, averaged over 50 in Tests following his 8,540 runs in 121 matches, while he scored 6,721 runs at 47 in 187 ODIs. The Antiguan was also handy with the ball, taking 32 Test and 118 ODI wickets.

In 2000, Richards was voted as one of Wisden’s five Cricketers of the Century, while in December 2002, he was chosen by Wisden as the greatest ODI batsman and as the third greatest Test cricket batter. In 2013 when Wisden selected the best Test team across 150 years of Test history, it slotted Richards at number-three.

Javed scored 8832 runs at 52.57 with the help of 23 centuries in his prolific Test career that spanned 124 Tests. The legendary batter also featured in 233 ODIs scoring 7381 runs at 41.70 with the help of eight centuries.

Sir Vivian Richards: “I am absolutely thrilled at reuniting with my mate Javed Miandad at the Pakistan Junior League with whom I cherish some great memories from our playing days. Miandad was a fighter and a tough competitor, and it will be lovely to be working alongside him at the Pakistan Junior League, which is an exciting and innovative concept.

“During my playing days, I always admired the talent Pakistan produced and this belief strengthened during my time with Quetta Gladiators at the HBL Pakistan Super League. The PCB have gone one step further by introducing age-group franchise cricket, which will help in further nurturing and developing outstanding talent.

“I think the Pakistan Junior League is a tremendous tool for further consolidating Pakistan cricket’s foundations by unearthing and developing quality talent.”

Javed Miandad: “I am really excited at the opportunity of working with Sir Vivian Richards who remains one of the greatest players to play the game. The Pakistan Junior League is an innovative and exciting concept and provides a great platform to junior players. I am sure that the league will help introduce some incredible future talent that will serve Pakistan cricket for the decades to come.

“The PCB deserves a lot of credit for this initiative which will be the first in the cricketing world, During my stint at the PJL I would endeavour to help youngsters in their quest of improvement in their game as I am a firm believer that with strong basics you can build a solid game that can help you in all formats of the game.

“Teenage years are the best for honing skills as a cricketer and the players involved in the event will have a wonderful opportunity of showcasing their talent at a world-class and competitive environment.”

 

[Titan24]

Viv as a mentor for the juniors would be dream come true for some young ones. They would have heard about the legend he was, sharing the dressing room with him would be a once in a lifetime learning experience at this age if they are up for it.

 

[Savak]

How is the PCB going to recover all this money being paid to the mentors? According to media reports the board has not received anywhere close to the amounts they expected for the title sponsorship, live streaming rights.

Is the PCB okay with paying out of pocket for the first few years of this project?

 

[MenInG]

The Pakistan Junior League received another shot in the arm as more than 140 players completed their registrations for the tournament through their respective cricket boards as well as clubs and professional representative submissions.

The PCB has received a great response from cricket boards around the world who wholeheartedly appreciated and backed this unique concept of providing emerging cricket stars a world-class platform for displaying their talent and skills.

South Africa and New Zealand cricket boards while offering their support for the PJL were not in a position to nominate players for the first season as the event dates clash with the academic examinations of their eligible players.

PCB has received player entries from eight Test playing (ICC full member) boards which include Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, Ireland, Sri Lanka, the West Indies and Zimbabwe.

Besides the Test playing nations, the PCB has also received player nominations from Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Nepal, The Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Scotland and the UAE.

Meanwhile, through the PJL social media campaign more than 2500 videos were submitted by aspiring cricketers from all over Pakistan.

The videos are being assessed by PCB coaches and the final list of players selected from the campaign who would be added to the draft will be shared in due course. Players born on or after 1 September 2003 are eligible for the PJL 2022 edition.

The inaugural edition of the PJL will be held at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore from 6 to 21 October. The final list of players eligible for the draft including foreign nominations will be shared before the draft.

PJL Tournament Director Nadeem Khan: “We want to thank the cricket boards that have backed this unique concept that will potentially redefine the junior cricket landscape not only in Pakistan but around the world.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board is fully focussed on delivering a quality event that will not only provide a platform to teenage stars but will also inspire millions of children as well as aspiring cricketers in their early to mid-teens.

“This event is a potential game changer for youth cricket and the strong nominations list received by the PCB is an indication of the interest of the cricketing world in the PJL.”

 

[Nasty Naz]

I am excited to see the young talent in Pakistan and seeing more players like Hasan Nawaz emerge from these tournaments.

 

[Saj]

I'd rather there were more U19 and 'A' tours around the world than these types of leagues in Pakistan.

 

[Firebat]

Pakistan Junior League: teams and their mentors confirmed

• “Instead of selling team rights, the PCB has made a strategic decision to take complete ownership of the inaugural edition,” says PCB Chief Executive Faisal Hasnain

• Over 140 cricketers from 18 countries have expressed interest in participating in the first of its kind tournament

• Players born on or after 1 September 2003 are eligible to participate in the inaugural edition to be played in Lahore from 6-21 October

Lahore, 30 August 2022:

With excitement and enthusiasm building, the Pakistan Cricket Board today confirmed the names of the six teams and their mentors for the Pakistan Junior League. The inaugural edition will be played in Lahore from 6-21 October this year and will be produced by the PCB and broadcast live by PTV Sports.

The six sides to take part in this first of its kind U19 domestic cricket tournament, which is primarily aimed to provide opportunities to the talented teenagers to introduce themselves to the world, are: Bahawalpur (Southern Punjab), Gujranwala (Central Punjab), Gwadar (Balochistan), Hyderabad (Sindh), Mardan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Rawalpindi (Northern).

South Africa’s Imran Tahir will be the team mentor for Bahawalpur, Pakistan’s two-time ICC tournament winner Shoaib Malik will be Gujranwala’s mentor, two-time 50-over World Cup winner Vivian Richards will be Gwadar’s mentor, two-time ICC T20 World Cup winner Daren Sammy will the mentor for Hyderabad, 2009 T20 World Cup winner and charismatic Shahid Afridi will be the mentor for Mardan and hard-hitting New Zealander Colin Munro, who has been on Islamabad United’s roster since 2020, will be the team mentor for Rawalpindi.

Former Pakistan captain and PCB Hall of Famer Javed Miandad will be the roving umbrella mentor, helping and assisting all the sides.

The PCB also confirmed the player draft for the tournament to be played on a single-league basis will be held in Lahore on 6 September. Details around the draft process will be announced shortly.

Over 140 players from Afghanistan, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, England, Ireland, Nepal, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Scotland, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Zimbabwe and the United Arab Emirates have completed their registrations for the tournament through their respective cricket boards as well as clubs and professional representative submissions.

PCB Chief Executive Faisal Hasnain: “There is tremendous interest within and outside Pakistan about this league and we have maintained that momentum by today confirming the city names and their mentors. The six cities mirror our domestic cricket structure. This will not only provide talented teenagers with opportunities to showcase their talent to the world, but will also encourage them to play quality cricket in an environment they have never faced before.

“The Pakistan Junior League dovetails very nicely with the PCB’s Development Programme, through which we organise schools, clubs, City Cricket Association, Cricket Association and PCB-organised 50-over and three-day tournaments. As the game’s regulatory and governing body in Pakistan, it is our responsibility to attract and create chances for our talented youth so that they not only make a career as a professional cricketer, but also solidify our bench-strength.

“Instead of selling team rights, the PCB has made a strategic decision to take complete ownership of the inaugural edition. This gives us the chance to present to the world and to all our valued commercial partners that this is an event that has high value, context and is here to stay.

“While the process for the sale of other commercial inventory is ongoing and we remain confident of attracting high-quality sponsors, I want to thank all the investors who expressed their interest in procuring team naming rights. We will continue the discussions with them after the completion of the tournament, with a future aim of building a long-term relationship.”

 

[JaDed]

I think this is a nice idea, I wish India had college level T20 sponsored by BCCI, I remember there used to be before not sure what happened.

 

[Savak]

Pakistan Junior League: teams and their mentors confirmed

• “Instead of selling team rights, the PCB has made a strategic decision to take complete ownership of the inaugural edition,” says PCB Chief Executive Faisal Hasnain

• Over 140 cricketers from 18 countries have expressed interest in participating in the first of its kind tournament

• Players born on or after 1 September 2003 are eligible to participate in the inaugural edition to be played in Lahore from 6-21 October

Lahore, 30 August 2022:

With excitement and enthusiasm building, the Pakistan Cricket Board today confirmed the names of the six teams and their mentors for the Pakistan Junior League. The inaugural edition will be played in Lahore from 6-21 October this year and will be produced by the PCB and broadcast live by PTV Sports.

The six sides to take part in this first of its kind U19 domestic cricket tournament, which is primarily aimed to provide opportunities to the talented teenagers to introduce themselves to the world, are: Bahawalpur (Southern Punjab), Gujranwala (Central Punjab), Gwadar (Balochistan), Hyderabad (Sindh), Mardan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Rawalpindi (Northern).

South Africa’s Imran Tahir will be the team mentor for Bahawalpur, Pakistan’s two-time ICC tournament winner Shoaib Malik will be Gujranwala’s mentor, two-time 50-over World Cup winner Vivian Richards will be Gwadar’s mentor, two-time ICC T20 World Cup winner Daren Sammy will the mentor for Hyderabad, 2009 T20 World Cup winner and charismatic Shahid Afridi will be the mentor for Mardan and hard-hitting New Zealander Colin Munro, who has been on Islamabad United’s roster since 2020, will be the team mentor for Rawalpindi.

Former Pakistan captain and PCB Hall of Famer Javed Miandad will be the roving umbrella mentor, helping and assisting all the sides.

The PCB also confirmed the player draft for the tournament to be played on a single-league basis will be held in Lahore on 6 September. Details around the draft process will be announced shortly.

Over 140 players from Afghanistan, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, England, Ireland, Nepal, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Scotland, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Zimbabwe and the United Arab Emirates have completed their registrations for the tournament through their respective cricket boards as well as clubs and professional representative submissions.

PCB Chief Executive Faisal Hasnain: “There is tremendous interest within and outside Pakistan about this league and we have maintained that momentum by today confirming the city names and their mentors. The six cities mirror our domestic cricket structure. This will not only provide talented teenagers with opportunities to showcase their talent to the world, but will also encourage them to play quality cricket in an environment they have never faced before.

“The Pakistan Junior League dovetails very nicely with the PCB’s Development Programme, through which we organise schools, clubs, City Cricket Association, Cricket Association and PCB-organised 50-over and three-day tournaments. As the game’s regulatory and governing body in Pakistan, it is our responsibility to attract and create chances for our talented youth so that they not only make a career as a professional cricketer, but also solidify our bench-strength.

“Instead of selling team rights, the PCB has made a strategic decision to take complete ownership of the inaugural edition. This gives us the chance to present to the world and to all our valued commercial partners that this is an event that has high value, context and is here to stay.

“While the process for the sale of other commercial inventory is ongoing and we remain confident of attracting high-quality sponsors, I want to thank all the investors who expressed their interest in procuring team naming rights. We will continue the discussions with them after the completion of the tournament, with a future aim of building a long-term relationship.”

Lol, the PCB should just admit there was no interest by anyone for buying the teams. Embarrassing. With no commercial sponsors, struggling to understand how will the PCB make any money on this venture, how long can the PCB afford to pump money into this venture with no return?

 

[PakLFC]

We are always set to do everything in words only. Hazaaron Khwayeshe aisi ke har Khwayesh par dam nikale. Bahut nikale mere armaan lekin phir bhii kam nikale.

 

[shah_1]

What a waste of money. This is more do with ego of Ramiz Raja despite no interest from the market. Investing in home and way tours of U19 and A team is far more beneficial than this circus.

 

[MenInG]

Around 60 top performers of the national U19 one-day and three-day events have assembled in Lahore to prepare for the inaugural edition of the Pakistan Junior League. The National U19 Championship (three-day) concluded in Karachi on Sunday with Sindh Blues emerging victorious in the all-Sindh final against Sindh Whites at the UBL Sports Complex.

The U19 players have joined the performers of the domestic U16 and U13 tournaments played this year who are already lodged in Lahore as part of the PCB Pathway Programme.

The players will work with local and foreign coaches (Engro Cricket Coaching Project) and will be integrated into the PCB Pathway Programme in the lead-up to the PJL draft.

The players who will make it to the six PJL teams will stay back in Lahore for a collective preparation camp before they join their respective sides towards the end of September when the PJL support period begins. The inaugural edition of the junior league will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore from 6-21 October.

Meanwhile, the interest of foreign players in the inaugural PJL edition continues to rise as the number of entries for the draft have now exceeded 160, with a total of 19 cricket boards having their representation at the draft.

PJL Tournament Director Nadeem Khan: “The 2022-23 U19 cricket season is set to provide unprecedented opportunities for players. Following a hugely competitive three-day tournament in Karachi, the players have now moved into the T20 groove with their camp in Lahore which leads into the Pakistan Junior League draft.

“The players will have access to their quality coaching and fitness programme which will prepare them for the high profile PJL in October. The PCB Pathway Programme is a perfect platform for these players as they eye the PJL. We have entered a really exciting phase for the development of the players and the next two months will further groom these future stars of Pakistan cricket once they are exposed to this potentially game changing event for junior cricket.”

 

[shariqnoor]

I just can't get over why they named it PJL. The first thing that comes to my mind reading PJL is Pajama League, which in reality it might turn out to be.

I've noticed that Pakistan are the least creative country on earth when it comes to names. All our grounds are named as Stadiums and leagues named as Leagues.

National Stadium, Karachi
Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar

Pakistan Super League
Pakistan Junior League

Absolutely zero creativity in naming sports grounds.

Why can't we have names like Eden Gardens, Lords, Eden Park, Vitality Blast T20, Big Bash? Sick of hearing the word stadiums and leagues in Pakistan.

 

[Savak]

Fully support the PCB here. To hell with the phattu Pak business community who don't have the balls to take risks and just want guaranteed profits on a platter upfront.

Better to launch the U19 PSL before the Indians will launch their U19 IPL.

 

[CricketingMinds]

Fully support the PCB here. To hell with the phattu Pak business community who don't have the balls to take risks and just want guaranteed profits on a platter upfront.

Better to launch the U19 PSL before the Indians will launch their U19 IPL.

100% agreed. Pakistan business community people are cowards and not real businessmen/women. Shameful honestly.

Full credit to Ramiz and PCB for daring a new idea and project.

 

[fitCricFan]

100% agreed. Pakistan business community people are cowards and not real businessmen/women. Shameful honestly.

Full credit to Ramiz and PCB for daring a new idea and project.

From their perspective I see them as astute business men who backed off from investing in a project that in their perception would not be profitable. Why blame the locals, PCB can't even get decent sponsorship from Pak expats. I am still waiting on the Blank Check details that Ramiz had so vocally communicated during the world T20 Indo-Pak WC match. That money should have been sufficient to cover the league in the first year.

Not much different from PSL where PCB is barely managing to scrape sponsorships.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Super excited to join the Hyderabad team at the Pakistan Junior League as their mentor. This league is a wonderful initiative that will shape the future of Pakistan cricket and junior players participating from around the world. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Next11?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Next11</a> <a href="https://t.co/9GuawptaB3">pic.twitter.com/9GuawptaB3</a></p>— Daren Sammy (@darensammy88) <a href="https://twitter.com/darensammy88/status/1565225471012470787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Savak]

From their perspective I see them as astute business men who backed off from investing in a project that in their perception would not be profitable. Why blame the locals, PCB can't even get decent sponsorship from Pak expats. I am still waiting on the Blank Check details that Ramiz had so vocally communicated during the world T20 Indo-Pak WC match. That money should have been sufficient to cover the league in the first year.

Not much different from PSL where PCB is barely managing to scrape sponsorships.

Tbh this just speaks more volumes about the Pakistani business community in general as a whole and their inability to make money from a product then the PCB. You have the country of India where their business men have invested life changing sums of money in Cricket and have earned big returns on their investments whereas our businessmen have failed to do. There is a reason why Indian businesses men world wide outperform their Pakistani counterparts world wide and generally speaking they are more competent

 

[Major]

Tbh this just speaks more volumes about the Pakistani business community in general as a whole and their inability to make money from a product then the PCB. You have the country of India where their business men have invested life changing sums of money in Cricket and have earned big returns on their investments whereas our businessmen have failed to do. There is a reason why Indian businesses men world wide outperform their Pakistani counterparts world wide and generally speaking they are more competent

Lol so its the business community fault to not waste money on pcbs stupid programs?

 

[Savak]

Lol so its the business community fault to not waste money on pcbs stupid programs?

Well the business community in India is easily able to make big money on BCCI ventures in India but the Pakistani business community cannot replicate the same level of success on PCB's ventures. Maybe this speaks more about the competence about the Pakistani business community as a whole in comparison to the Indian Business Community.

 

[latecut]

Tbh this just speaks more volumes about the Pakistani business community in general as a whole and their inability to make money from a product then the PCB. You have the country of India where their business men have invested life changing sums of money in Cricket and have earned big returns on their investments whereas our businessmen have failed to do. There is a reason why Indian businesses men world wide outperform their Pakistani counterparts world wide and generally speaking they are more competent

You are making the same mistake that many other Pakistanis do. You are trying to compare Pakistan with India. India business scenario is not comparable to Pakistan. What is big money for top Pakistan businessmen is often small change for top Indian Businessmen. Moreover, BCCI is run by business savvy people and they know how to get their projects funded by India businessmen. PCB on the other hand is run by motormouths like Ramiz Raja who lack any business savvy.

 

[Savak]

You are making the same mistake that many other Pakistanis do. You are trying to compare Pakistan with India. India business scenario is not comparable to Pakistan. What is big money for top Pakistan businessmen is often small change for top Indian Businessmen. Moreover, BCCI is run by business savvy people and they know how to get their projects funded by India businessmen. PCB on the other hand is run by motormouths like Ramiz Raja who lack any business savvy.

I would argue even in percentage terms the Pakistani business community is massively under investing in Pakistan Cricket vs India. Generally worldwide I have found Indians to be more competent, more risk taking, ready to jump into the fire without over thinking in entrepreneurial ventures in comparison to their Pakistani counterparts who in comparison will not venture into unchartered territory without a guarantee of profits on a platter.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ecstatic to be named as Mardan team's mentor for the <a href="https://twitter.com/ThePJLofficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ThePJLOfficial</a>. Lets look at the event from a cricket perspective and not through the commercial lens. Like PSL, lets make PJL a successful Pakistan league <a href="https://t.co/Q4O6JfuSx3">pic.twitter.com/Q4O6JfuSx3</a></p>— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/SAfridiOfficial/status/1564930703086739456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[latecut]

I would argue even in percentage terms the Pakistani business community is massively under investing in Pakistan Cricket vs India. Generally worldwide I have found Indians to be more competent, more risk taking, ready to jump into the fire without over thinking in entrepreneurial ventures in comparison to their Pakistani counterparts who in comparison will not venture into unchartered territory without a guarantee of profits on a platter.

Business houses do not "invest" in sports. They only "sponsor" sporting ventures. The money they spend in their sports sponsorship is a small part of their business. They do not look for any returns for the money they invest in sporting ventures. You are making it look like Pakistani businessmen will have to "invest" in Pakistan cricket. Businessmen invest in their business activities, not in sports of their country.

 

[Bewal Express]

Let's hope the standard of Junior cricket rises because its shockingly bad ATM.

 

[Markhor]

EXAMPLE 3: The PJL. Can someone explain why, when franchises have struggled to break even on PSL franchises, they would invest in PJL franchises ? How will they get a return on investment ?

Why would TV companies fork out for a competition where the cricketers are complete unknowns with no name value whatsoever ? The standard of cricket will also be inferior to the actual PSL, because the cricketers aren't fully developed. Why pay for a pale imitation of the real thing ?

We ALREADY HAVE regional Under-19 tournaments - invest in coaching and facilities in them instead ! Only the Junior Contracts are a great intiative.

Reposting what I said in April. So it turns out there was either no commercial interest in buying the franchises or the sums being offered were peanuts, so PCB are footing the bill.

I'm all for taking risks but not for throwing money down the toilet. PCB is not BCCI where we can generate billions in TV revenues to afford these pet projects. We don't have the US tradition of college sports which enjoy a mass following and major commercial partnerships.

You cannot expect sponsors to invest in cricketers with no name value. Moreover, what does a PJL franchise gain by investing in cricketers who they cannot retain long-term ? None of these PJL teams have a stake in the PSL. Why would Mardan develop players only for Karachi Kings to reap all the benefits ?

The only way I'd see it working is a PSL developmental tournament where the PSL franchises owned the teams themselves.

There's no point blaming the Pakistani business community - the PCB proposal offered little return on investment in a time when the economy is tanking, energy prices are soaring and profit margins are being squeezed.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Reposting what I said in April. So it turns out there was either no commercial interest in buying the franchises or the sums being offered were peanuts, so PCB are footing the bill.

I'm all for taking risks but not for throwing money down the toilet. PCB is not BCCI where we can generate billions in TV revenues to afford these pet projects. We don't have the US tradition of college sports which enjoy a mass following and major commercial partnerships.

You cannot expect sponsors to invest in cricketers with no name value. Moreover, what does a PJL franchise gain by investing in cricketers who they cannot retain long-term ? None of these PJL teams have a stake in the PSL. Why would Mardan develop players only for Karachi Kings to reap all the benefits ?

The only way I'd see it working is a PSL developmental tournament where the PSL franchises owned the teams themselves.

There's no point blaming the Pakistani business community - the PCB proposal offered little return on investment in a time when the economy is tanking, energy prices are soaring and profit margins are being squeezed.

Besides the absolutely bone-head business acumen behind this idea, PRaja actually thinks that the best way to develop young cricketers who haven't even gotten their basic of the game right is not to play FC cricket but rather play T20 cricket. As if there is any shortage of technically underdeveloped cricketers in this country.

Eagerly awaiting the day this entire venture tanks and Ramiz is booted out for good. I hope that this tournament is his legacy because I would like nothing more than for him to be banished from ever being in a major decision-making position in Pakistan cricket.

 

[Savak]

Mark my words. The PJL will succeed, it will prove to be a masterstroke towards the up gradation, modernization, professionalization of our U19 players, systems and eventually in subsequent seasons title sponsors, commercial sponsors, broadcasters, franchises will come to the PCB telling them to name their price and the PCB will successfully achieve the joint aim of uplifting our U19 players and creating another good property after the PSL.

This thread will yet again prove the risk averse nature of Pakistani people in general versus other nationalities.

 

[Savak]

Reposting what I said in April. So it turns out there was either no commercial interest in buying the franchises or the sums being offered were peanuts, so PCB are footing the bill.

I'm all for taking risks but not for throwing money down the toilet. PCB is not BCCI where we can generate billions in TV revenues to afford these pet projects. We don't have the US tradition of college sports which enjoy a mass following and major commercial partnerships.

You cannot expect sponsors to invest in cricketers with no name value. Moreover, what does a PJL franchise gain by investing in cricketers who they cannot retain long-term ? None of these PJL teams have a stake in the PSL. Why would Mardan develop players only for Karachi Kings to reap all the benefits ?

The only way I'd see it working is a PSL developmental tournament where the PSL franchises owned the teams themselves.

There's no point blaming the Pakistani business community - the PCB proposal offered little return on investment in a time when the economy is tanking, energy prices are soaring and profit margins are being squeezed.

Yes times are tough and this was a risky investment for businesses. But how can someone call themselves a business man, entrepreneur if they want a guarantee of profits on the platter upfront?

Indians are planning to launch an U19 IPL and a women's IPL next year with billions to spare in the kitty. The PCB in comparison are willing to take risks believing their investments will pay off in the long run from both a cricketing and commercial point of view.

The PCB was already late with the PSL 7 years after the IPL. It cannot afford to be left behind anymore.

I support this venture, it will motivate the youth to take up cricket and will provide a pipeline to the PSL, our domestic cricket and the Pakistani team.

The PSL franchises should be made to pay a fee to acquire the services off a valuable PJL player to the PJL franchises to compensate the PJL franchises. Creative minds if they sit down can work out a solution to all problems and issues.

 

[Savak]

People who are saying this PJL venture is rubbish, need to see the amount of youngsters and people sending their cricketing videos to the PJL authorities. This is a talent drive motivating youngsters they have a solid future in the Pakistani system

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I will be mentoring Rawalpindi at the Pakistan Junior League!Having represented Islamabad at PSL,this is an great opportunity for me to work with the young stars from the region. It’s a wonderful platform for future cricket stars from Pakistan and around the world. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/next11?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#next11</a> <a href="https://t.co/GCb6pVNtTX">pic.twitter.com/GCb6pVNtTX</a></p>— Colin Munro (@manuz05) <a href="https://twitter.com/manuz05/status/1565596629247352832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
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[ElRaja]

will these games have official t20 status?

 

[Savak]

Ramiz defends PJL, says league to take inspiration from BBL

Mir Shabbar Ali

Published September 3, 2022

Updated about 11 hours ago

KARACHI: Ramiz Raja has come out in defence of his brainchild — the Pakistan Junior League.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman had proposed the idea of the PJL as a first-of-its-kind franchise-based tournament for under-19 players soon after assuming the charge.

The board announced on Tuesday that it would take “complete ownership” of the PJL after the six teams on offer went unsold in the bidding process for their ownership rights — hence reducing it to anything but a franchise league.

Despite claiming back in April that feedback by potential investors showed “huge appetite for cricket and a strong commercial market”, Ramiz has said that the latest decision was taken because qualified bidders did not share PCB’s vision and objectives.

“It is a misperception and misleading to say that the PCB was unable to sell franchise team rights for the Pakistan Junior League,” the PCB chief told Dawn.

“The fact is we had the investors on the table, including foreign entrepreneurs, but the PCB called off the process because we felt our vision and objectives were not entirely aligned as far as some commercial aspects of the event were concerned.”

Ramiz, who has repeatedly talked about creating “products” to attract more investment towards cricket, said the PJL was never about generating profits and suggested the PCB itself was ready to invest in the venture.

“Before entering into this venture about 10 months ago, the PCB was aware that development tournaments are not profit-making or revenue-generating events,” said the former Pakistan Test skipper.

“But, as we do for our domestic events, there will be no compromise on the quality of cricket and the PCB will continue to invest in its pathways cricket to make Pakistan a stronger and successful cricket brand.”

PJL’s inaugural edition, set to be held next month in Lahore, will be inspired by Australia’s Big Bash League — of which all the eight teams are owned by the country’s cricket board — and the PCB expects the model will help in giving the players a competitive stage to perform.

“…. in line with the BBL model, the PCB decided to take complete ownership of the teams so that we can produce and present the six best and equally balanced sides in a professional and competitive environment,” Ramiz said.

“This, supported by PCB’s excellent event delivery, will result in a successful event and set high level benchmarks and standards for the future.”
Ramiz, in a video posted on the PCB YouTube channel on April 29, had also claimed that “nearly 24 to 26 companies have come forward and expressed their interest in owning the franchises”.

“The interest is unlimited,” he went on to say.

However, Dawn understands only nine bidders, including owners of two PSL franchises, qualified technically and financially. The remaining bidders failed to make it because of what was deemed by the PCB as their low profile.

The two PSL franchise owners eventually pulled out of the process since the six PSL franchises decided to either bid together or not bid at all.

The PCB, it is understood, didn’t have many options but to go with the BBL model.

According to sources, the lack of interest by bidders who the PCB would have deemed satisfactory to own the teams came as a surprise after it predicted that the PJL would be an attractive product after market research and analysis.

Experts had predicted otherwise. One of them, a sports management professional who has worked with the Pakistan Super League, took to Twitter last month and wrote a thread on how unlikely it was for “a new franchise, set up for players with a maximum life-cycle of two years” to create hype.

The expert suggested it was more profitable for the PCB to join hands with the PSL franchises to run the PJL sides.

“A Lahore Qalandars / Karachi Kings U23 / U19 will get way more traction and response than a Gujranwala Gujjars/ Hyderabad Hawks U23/ U19,” he wrote.

“A new team / new identity is unlikely to be disruptive and create the buzz that a franchise-based tournament requires.”

Dawn understands the PCB mentioned the PJL informally to the PSL franchises along with the possibility of the women’s PSL — planned to be inaugurated early next year.

The idea may not have been expressly talked about but the impression that the franchises had that the PJL may be an extension of their existing products.

Sources suggested the PCB intended on bringing in new owners for the PJL but there was lukewarm interest because of the concerns about the product’s cricketing and commercial potential.

The PCB has also struggled to attract sponsorships for other commercial inventory of the PJL. According to local media reports last month, the board received less than 25 per cent of the reserve price for PJL’s title sponsorship rights.

The reports claimed only three companies participated in the bidding process.

Ramiz, however, was confident that “cricketing reasons” were enough to consider the PJL as a promising venture that has attracted interest from players from across eight Test-playing nations.

“For the talented youngster, there is everything to gain from the Pakistan Junior League — from having iconic cricketers in their dugouts to high-quality playing facilities to top-notch logistical arrangements to broadcast quality coverage to player fees, which may be crucial for a number of under-privileged cricketers,” said the 60-year-old.

“These cricketing reasons have earned an overwhelming support from the cricket-playing countries, including nine Test playing nations, who have recommended around 140 cricketers for the draft,” Ramiz concluded.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2022

Link: https://www.dawn.com/news/1708075/ramiz-defends-pjl-says-league-to-take-inspiration-from-bbl

 

[ElRaja]

i think people are missing the point, an under 19 league is gonna have a very low cost base, id be surprised if the local players are gonna be paid more than a few hundred dollars.

it provides a pathway for young players to get noticed for the psl and gets young foreign players used to the idea of touring Pakistan, helping to further normalise cricket in Pakistan.

also ppl complaining abt lack of first class development need to accept that t20 will eventually have its own development pathways. players will continue to play both formats but experience in one will not be a pre requisite to excel at the other.

i think its a great "shot to nothing", if it works then the PCB will have hit on a development pathway which could possibly be commercialised, if not, i don't think it'll be a massive loss, financially.

 

[MenInG]

More than 250 local and around 175 foreign players between 16 and 19 years of age will be available for selection for six teams in the player draft of the inaugural edition of the Pakistan Junior League. The draft will take place on Thursday, 8 September in Lahore.

The local players list includes the players who took part in the two PCB organised national U19 one-day and three-day tournaments in the ongoing season. Players who were selected for their respective Cricket Association team for the two premier national U19 competitions are eligible for the draft even if they didn’t play any match.

Additionally, a total of 17 players from the PJL social media video campaign have been invited to the NHPC in Lahore for age verification and trials. The players selected amongst the 17 will be added to the draft list.

A total of 250-odd players will compete for 66 spots (11 in each of the six sides) for Bahawalpur, Gujranwala, Gwadar, Hyderabad, Mardan and Rawalpindi teams for PJL 2022. The foreign players will vie for 24 spots (four in each of the six sides). The age cut-off for tournament eligibility is 1 September 2003.

The players have been divided into three categories - Elite, Premier and X-factor. The Elite category includes high-profile players who have either already appeared for their national U19 team or have made an impact at the domestic level (age-group cricket) organised by an ICC Full Member cricket board.

Premier includes players who have significant age-group cricket experience or have been part of pathway cricket for their boards or regions. X-factor includes Associate Member board players as well as promising local talent.

Amongst the foreign players, 105 are from ICC Full Member boards and more than 70 are from Associate Members.

Prominent foreign players: Abdullah Al Mamun (Bangladesh), Ackeem Auguste (West Indies), Ahmad Zia Zaland (Afghanistan), Ali Naseer (UAE), Anjala Bandara (Sri Lanka), Archie Lenham (England), Ariful Islam (Bangladesh), Brendon Sunguro (Zimbabwe), Brian Bennett (Zimbabwe), Burhan Niaz (Belgium), Emmanuel Bawa (Zimbabwe), Ethan Gibson (Canada), George Thomas (England), Hassan Eisakhil (Afghanistan), Huggins Machaka (Zimbabwe), Isai Thorne (West Indies), Jash Ginani (UAE), Jishan Alam (Bangladesh), Joseph Eckland (England), Joshua Tromp (USA), Lahiru Abeysinghe (Sri Lanka), Lahiru Dawatage (Sri Lanka), Luc Martin Benkenstein (England), Luke Holt (Australia), Malsha Tharupathi (Sri Lanka), Matthew Schocken (Zimbabwe), Matthew Tromp (USA), Masood Gurbaz (Afghanistan), Musa Shaheen Mahmood (Denmark), Nathan Edwards (West Indies), Naimur Rohman Noyon (Bangladesh), Nimar Bolden (West Indies), Oliver Davidson (Scotland), Olly Cox (England), Philippus le Roux (Ireland), Prantik Nawrose Nabil (Bangladesh), Shevon Daniel (Sri Lanka), Steven Wedderburn (West Indies), Tazeem Ali (Netherlands), Vasant Singh (West Indies) and Waleed Stanikzai (Afghanistan).

 

[Saj]

PJL coaching staff for the inaugural season announced

• Gordon Parsons, Ijaz Ahmed Snr, Mushtaq Ahmed, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman and Toby Radford to coach the six teams

Lahore, 8 September 2022:

Some of the leading coaches involved with domestic U19 and senior teams have been handed the reins of the six Pakistan Junior League teams for the 19-match inaugural season set to be held at Lahore’s Gadaffi Stadium from 6 to 21 October.

The roster includes foreign coaches Gordon Parsons and Toby Radford. Parsons and Radford are two of the five coaches recruited for the PCB Pathway Programme. Radford will be joining the programme this week and will link-up with his PJL team once the event support period begins in the last week of September.

Parsons has been named the head coach of Bahawalpur while Radford will be coaching Rawalpindi in the inaugural season. Pakistan U19 and Shaheens coach Ijaz Ahmed Snr, who is currently coaching Northern in the Kingdom Valley National T20 Cup 2022-23, will head Gujranwala’s coaching staff.

PCB’s spin bowling consultant and Balochistan head coach, Mushtaq Ahmed, will be the head coach of the Gwadar side, while Abdul Razzaq, the Central Punjab head coach, will spearhead Hyderabad support staff.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa head coach Abdur Rehman will be Mardan’s head coach.

Each of the six sides have also been assigned specialised coaches for support of their head coaches.

Former Pakistan Test opener Imran Farhat (currently involved with Central Punjab) will be batting coach at Bahawalpur. Former Test bowler Aizaz Cheema, who is part of the Southern Punjab coaching team, will be the bowling coach for Gujranwala.

PCB coach Kamran Khan currently involved with Northern will be Gwadar’s batting coach and Sindh head coach Ghulam Ali will join Razzaq in the Hyderabad dugout as the batting coach.

Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Sami would be making his coaching debut with a stint for Mardan as bowling coach.

Seasoned U19 and age-group coach Muhammad Masroor would be Rawalpindi’s batting coach.

The head coaches and assistant coaches will select their PJL squads in the player draft which will be held in Lahore today.

Rest of the support staff for the six teams will be announced in due course.

Bahawalpur:
Mentor – Imran Tahir
Head coach – Gordon Parsons
Batting coach – Imran Farhat

Gujranwala:
Mentor – Shoaib Malik
Head coach – Ijaz Ahmed Snr
Bowling coach – Aizaz Cheema

Gwadar:
Mentor – Vivian Richards
Head coach – Mushtaq Ahmed
Batting coach – Kamran Khan

Hyderabad:
Mentor – Daren Sammy
Head coach – Abdul Razzaq
Batting coach – Ghulam Ali

Mardan:
Mentor – Shahid Afridi
Head coach – Abdur Rehman
Bowling coach – Mohammad Sami

Rawalpindi
Mentor – Colin Munro
Head coach – Toby Radford
Batting coach – Muhammad Masroor

 

[Saj]

PJL Team names.

 

[Titan24]

del. double post

 

[Fenrir]

I like the name of the teams.It is good cities apart from the main ones(Karachi,Lahore,Islamabad etc) have teams named after them.Hopefully talented players from these cities will get a chance to play in PJL.

 

[James]

 

[James]

Bahawalpur Royals:
Elite Category: Arham Nawab (vice-captain), Nathan Edwards (West Indies), Obaid Shahid (c), Sajjad Ali
Premier Category: Mohammad Zeeshan, Rehan Ahmed (England), Basit Ali, Ali Razzaq, Nangeyalia Kharotai (Afghanistan)

Gujranwala Giants:
Elite Category: Ali Asfand, Azan Awais, Uzair Mumtaz (c), Tom Aspinwall (England)
Premier Category: Mohammad Ibtisam, Ariful Islam (Bangladesh), Hasnain Majid, Shevon Daniel (Sri Lanka), Mohammad Shan

Gwadar Sharks:
Elite Category: Joseph Eckland (England), Danial Ibrahim (England), Haseeb Nazim, Muhammad Ismail
Premier Category: Arafat Minhas, Luc Martin Benkenstein (England), Mohammad Shoaib, Saad Masood,
Shamyl Hussain

Hyderabad Hunters:
Elite Category: Saad Baig (c), Afaq Khan, Aftab Ibrahim, Isai Thorne (West Indies)
Premier Category: Haseeb-ur-Rehman, Muneeb Wasif, James Ross Wood (England), Lahiru Dawatage (Sri Lanka), Arbaz Khan

Mardan Warriors:
Elite Category: George Thomas (England), Abbas Ali (c), Archie Lenham (England), Abidullah
Premier Category: Daud Nazir, Haseeb Khan, Muhammad Nabeel, Olly Cox (England), Mohammad Farooq

Rawalpindi Raiders:
Elite Category: Habibullah (c), Ali Ishaq, Afnan Khan, Hassan Eisakhil (Afghanistan)
Premier Category: Ali Raza, Kai Smith (England), Aseer Mughal, Amir Hassan, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar (Afghanistan)

 

[James]

Updated squads, elite and premier categories - X-factor category to follow. Six more players per side need to be selected

 

[Saj]

Bahawalpur Royals:
Elite Category: Arham Nawab (vice-captain), Nathan Edwards (West Indies), Obaid Shahid (c), Sajjad Ali
Premier Category: Mohammad Zeeshan, Rehan Ahmed (England), Basit Ali, Ali Razzaq, Nangeyalia Kharotai (Afghanistan)
X-factor Category: Farhan Yousaf, Mohammad Tayyab Arif, Shahwaiz Irfan, Mohammad Danish, Ahmed Hussain, Gabriel Gallman-Findlay (Scotland)

Gujranwala Giants:
Elite Category: Ali Asfand, Azan Awais, Uzair Mumtaz (c), Tom Aspinwall (England)
Premier Category: Mohammad Ibtisam, Ariful Islam (Bangladesh), Hasnain Majid, Shevon Daniel (Sri Lanka), Mohammad Shan
X-factor Category: Mohammad Waqas, Hasan Ali Jnr, Mohammad Aqib Asghar, Saqlain Nawaz, Hamza Nawaz, Matthew Tromp (USA).

Gwadar Sharks:
Elite Category: Joseph Eckland (England), Danial Ibrahim (England), Haseeb Nazim, Muhammad Ismail
Premier Category: Arafat Minhas, Luc Martin Benkenstein (England), Mohammad Shoaib, Saad Masood,
Shamyl Hussain
X-factor Category: Momin Qamar, Mohammad AbuBakar, Aftab Ahmed, Muhammad Zulkifal, Adnan Iqbal, Kushal Malla (Nepal).

Hyderabad Hunters:
Elite Category: Saad Baig (c), Afaq Khan, Aftab Ibrahim, Isai Thorne (West Indies)
Premier Category: Haseeb-ur-Rehman, Muneeb Wasif, James Ross Wood (England), Lahiru Dawatage (Sri Lanka), Arbaz Khan
X-factor Category: Mohammad Zubair Jnr, Moeez Rana, Hassan Iqbal, Fahad Amin, Salman Ahmed, Ali Naseer (UAE).

Mardan Warriors:
Elite Category: George Thomas (England), Abbas Ali (c), Archie Lenham (England), Abidullah
Premier Category: Daud Nazir, Haseeb Khan, Muhammad Nabeel, Olly Cox (England), Mohammad Farooq
X-factor Category: Mohammad Irfan, Aimal Khan, Zohaib Khan Shanzaib, Syed Tayyab Hussain, Shahzaib Khan, Burhan Niaz (Belgium).

Rawalpindi Raiders:
Elite Category: Habibullah (c), Ali Ishaq, Afnan Khan, Hassan Eisakhil (Afghanistan)
Premier Category: Ali Raza, Kai Smith (England), Aseer Mughal, Amir Hassan, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar (Afghanistan)
X-factor Category: Ziaullah, Usman Khan, Wahaj Riaz, Haroon Arshad, Naveed Ahmed Khan, Charlie Tear (England).

 

[waheed_sofi]

Bahawalpur Royals:
Elite Category: Arham Nawab (vice-captain), Nathan Edwards (West Indies), Obaid Shahid (c), Sajjad Ali
Premier Category: Mohammad Zeeshan, Rehan Ahmed (England), Basit Ali, Ali Razzaq, Nangeyalia Kharotai (Afghanistan)

Gujranwala Giants:
Elite Category: Ali Asfand, Azan Awais, Uzair Mumtaz (c), Tom Aspinwall (England)
Premier Category: Mohammad Ibtisam, Ariful Islam (Bangladesh), Hasnain Majid, Shevon Daniel (Sri Lanka), Mohammad Shan

Gwadar Sharks:
Elite Category: Joseph Eckland (England), Danial Ibrahim (England), Haseeb Nazim, Muhammad Ismail
Premier Category: Arafat Minhas, Luc Martin Benkenstein (England), Mohammad Shoaib, Saad Masood,
Shamyl Hussain

Hyderabad Hunters:
Elite Category: Saad Baig (c), Afaq Khan, Aftab Ibrahim, Isai Thorne (West Indies)
Premier Category: Haseeb-ur-Rehman, Muneeb Wasif, James Ross Wood (England), Lahiru Dawatage (Sri Lanka), Arbaz Khan

Mardan Warriors:
Elite Category: George Thomas (England), Abbas Ali (c), Archie Lenham (England), Abidullah
Premier Category: Daud Nazir, Haseeb Khan, Muhammad Nabeel, Olly Cox (England), Mohammad Farooq

Rawalpindi Raiders:
Elite Category: Habibullah (c), Ali Ishaq, Afnan Khan, Hassan Eisakhil (Afghanistan)
Premier Category: Ali Raza, Kai Smith (England), Aseer Mughal, Amir Hassan, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar (Afghanistan)

Hassan Eisakhil is Mohammad Nabi's Son. He is very talented Batsman, recently played in Shpageeza league, where he played along with his father in different teams.

 

[SpiritOf1903]

Not enough BritPak

 

[daytrader]

24 players from nine cricket boards join 66 local players for inaugural Pakistan Junior League

• Obaid Shahid, Uzair Mumtaz, Muhammad Ismail, Saad Baig, Abbas Ali and Habibullah named captains of Bahawalpur, Gujranwala, Gwadar, Hyderabad, Mardan and Rawalpindi respectively

Lahore, 8 September 2022:

The six Pakistan Junior League teams selected some of the most prominent U19 stars from Pakistan and around the world at the player draft held today in Lahore.

A total of 66 Pakistan and 24 foreign cricketers were picked by the coaches of Bahawalpur Royals, Gujranwala Giants, Gwadar Sharks, Hyderabad Hunters, Mardan Warriors and Rawalpindi Raiders.

As part of the draft regulations, each of the six squads comprise 15 players, the teams picked four players in Elite, five in Premier and six in X-factor categories.

Besides Pakistan, players from a total of nine cricket boards would have representation at the PJL which will run from 6 October to 21 October at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. Nineteen matches (including playoffs and final) will be played in the single-league format tournament.

Star performers of the national U19 circuit (2022-23); Obaid Shahid, Uzair Mumtaz, Muhammad Ismail, Saad Baig, Abbas Ali and Habibullah were named captains of Bahawalpur, Gujranwala, Gwadar, Hyderabad, Mardan and Rawalpindi respectively.

Nathan Edwards (West Indies), Tom Aspinwall (England), Danial Ibrahim (England), Joseph Eckland (England), Isai Thorne (West Indies), Archie Lenham (England), George Thomas (England) and Hassan Eisakhil (Afghanistan) were the foreign players picked in the Elite Category.

In the final round of the draft, the six sides picked a player each from ICC Associate Members. These players are; Gabriel Gallman-Findlay (Scotland), Matthew Tromp (USA), Kushal Malla (Nepal), Ali Naseer (UAE), Burhan Niaz (Belgium) and Charlie Tear (Scotland).

The local players selected for the PJL will continue their ongoing camp as part of the PCB Pathway Programme at the National High Performance Centre.

These players will join their respective sides when the event’s support period begins in the last week of September. The foreign players are expected to reach Lahore a week or so before the start of the tournament.

The six squads with their present support staff are available below, the PCB will confirm the remaining support staff appointments in due course.

Bahawalpur Royals:
Elite Category: Obaid Shahid (captain), Arham Nawab (vice-captain), Nathan Edwards (West Indies), Sajjad Ali
Premier Category: Ali Razzaq, Basit Ali, Mohammad Zeeshan, Nangeyalia Kharotai (Afghanistan), Rehan Ahmed (England)
X-factor Category: Ahmed Hussain, Farhan Yousaf, Gabriel Gallman-Findlay (Scotland), Mohammad Danish, Mohammad Tayyab Arif, Shahwaiz Irfan.

Support staff: Imran Tahir (mentor), Gordon Parsons (head coach), Imran Farhat (batting coach)

Gujranwala Giants:
Elite Category: Uzair Mumtaz (captain), Ali Asfand, Azan Awais, Tom Aspinwall (England)
Premier Category: Ariful Islam (Bangladesh), Hasnain Majid, Mohammad Ibtisam, Mohammad Shan, Shevon Daniel (Sri Lanka)
X-factor Category: Hamza Nawaz, Hasan Ali Jnr, Matthew Tromp (USA), Mohammad Aqib Asghar, Mohammad Waqas, Saqlain Nawaz.

Support staff: Shoaib Malik (mentor), Ijaz Ahmed Snr (head coach), Aizaz Cheema (bowling coach)

Gwadar Sharks:
Elite Category: Mohammad Ismail (captain), Danial Ibrahim (England), Haseeb Nazim, Joseph Eckland (England)
Premier Category: Arafat Minhas, Luc Martin Benkenstein (England), Mohammad Shoaib, Saad Masood,
Shamyl Hussain
X-factor Category: Adnan Iqbal, Aftab Ahmed, Kushal Malla (Nepal), Mohammad AbuBakar, Momin Qamar, Muhammad Zulkifal.

Support staff: Vivian Richards (mentor), Mushtaq Ahmed (head coach), Kamran Khan (batting coach)

Hyderabad Hunters:
Elite Category: Saad Baig (captain), Afaq Khan, Aftab Ibrahim, Isai Thorne (West Indies)
Premier Category: Arbaz Khan, Haseeb-ur-Rehman, James Ross Wood (England), Lahiru Dawatage (Sri Lanka), Muneeb Wasif
X-factor Category: Ali Naseer (UAE), Fahad Amin, Hassan Iqbal, Moeez Rana, Mohammad Zubair Jnr, Salman Ahmed.

Support staff: Daren Sammy (mentor), Abdul Razzaq (head coach), Ghulam Ali (batting coach)

Mardan Warriors:
Elite Category: Abbas Ali (captain), Abidullah, Archie Lenham (England), George Thomas (England)
Premier Category: Daud Nazar, Haseeb Khan, Mohammad Farooq, Muhammad Nabeel, Olly Cox (England)
X-factor Category: Aimal Khan, Burhan Niaz (Belgium), Mohammad Irfan, Shahzaib Khan, Syed Tayyab Hussain, Zohaib Khan Shanzaib.

Support staff: Shahid Afridi (mentor), Abdur Rehman (head coach), Mohammad Sami (bowling coach)

Rawalpindi Raiders:
Elite Category: Habibullah (captain), Afnan Khan, Ali Ishaq, Hassan Eisakhil (Afghanistan)
Premier Category: Ali Raza, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar (Afghanistan), Amir Hassan, Aseer Mughal, Kai Smith (England)
X-factor Category: Charlie Tear (Scotland), Haroon Arshad, Naveed Ahmed Khan, Usman Khan, Wahaj Riaz, Ziaullah.

Support staff: Colin Munro (mentor), Toby Radford (head coach), Mohammad Masroor (batting coach)

 

[ElRaja]

theres an afghan in there called allah, surely that cant be his first name.

archie lenham, danial ibrahim and rehan ahmed are quality signings tho. I'm guessing benkenstien is dales son?

any info on the local players, who the top names to look out for?

 

[shamaan]

Watch out for Rehan Ahmed

 

[shamaan]

theres an afghan in there called allah, surely that cant be his first name.

archie lenham, danial ibrahim and rehan ahmed are quality signings tho. I'm guessing benkenstien is dales son?

any info on the local players, who the top names to look out for?

Habibullah good opening batesman looks class
Amir Hassan left armer good height
Abbas Ali allrounder played in the last u19s World cup
Muhammad Nabeel fast bowler who can move the ball and looks decently quick
Shahzaib Khan hits a long ball
Muneeb Wasif great talent gets alot of swing and decent batter.
Shamyl Hussain left hander batesman has decent domestic stats
Momin Qamar chinaman
Ali Asfand already playing in National cup
Azan Awais class player has all the shots
Arham Nawab don't need to say anything
Mohammad Zeeshan his height is 6.8 gets steep bounce already been to HPC

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

Hopefully their was an age verification done and these "juniors" are really juniors.

 

[Shafi]

How Ijaz Ahmed keep getting top job without any performance?

 

[Shafi]

Should allow current star international players in foreign selections. Our players would benefit more playing against Roy, Finch, Mustafiz, Khusal, Warner, Guptil, Maxwell, Hazel, Henry, Southee.... type players. Playing against juniors foreigners like playing in a U19 tournaments.

 

[Marooned]

Habibullah good opening batesman looks class
Amir Hassan left armer good height
Abbas Ali allrounder played in the last u19s World cup
Muhammad Nabeel fast bowler who can move the ball and looks decently quick
Shahzaib Khan hits a long ball
Muneeb Wasif great talent gets alot of swing and decent batter.
Shamyl Hussain left hander batesman has decent domestic stats
Momin Qamar chinaman
Ali Asfand already playing in National cup
Azan Awais class player has all the shots
Arham Nawab don't need to say anything
Mohammad Zeeshan his height is 6.8 gets steep bounce already been to HPC

Have you seen Abidullah?
Personally, not sure about his action but otherwise looks like a dangerous bowler. Right arm fast, gets late swing.
He is in the elite category here (assuming it's the same one).

 

[Shafi]

When PJW will start?

 

[Bewal Express]

theres an afghan in there called allah, surely that cant be his first name.

archie lenham, danial ibrahim and rehan ahmed are quality signings tho. I'm guessing benkenstien is dales son?

any info on the local players, who the top names to look out for?

Allah Rakha?

 

[ElRaja]

Allah Rakha?

allah rakha, allah ditta, etc, are punjabi names, didnt think afghans kept such names. ur pbly right though, just looked strange to see that.

 

[ataullah]

Notable Omissions From PJL

Whenever there is selection is PSL or Pakistan squad there are always debates regarding deserving players being discarded. The same is happening at youth level and PJL. The top performers at domestic under 19 level have been hard done by. I would like to add a few names:

Name: Ramiz Ijaz
Age: 18
Team: Sanghar Under 19
Bowling style: wrist spinner

This kid has been praised for his variations and Bowling by Ramiz Raja, Sandeep lamichane and muhammad zahid the ex Bowling coach at NCA. Saj has also tweeted his videos on my request. A few days before the PJL draft ramiz ijaz was called to NCA for trials as he applied via sending videos to PJL. He impressed all the coaches and was nailed on to make the PJL but was overlooked again.
[MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] can you tweet his video and situation please

Name: Abdul Basit
Age: 18 years
Team: Northern Under 19
Matches: 4(Three days)
Wickets: 20
Economy: 3.04
Matches: 5 (One Day)
Wickets: 7
Economy: 5.5
2nd Highest wicket taker of National Under 19 isn't included in Pakistan Junior League. Isn't strange? Whats your opinion?

 

[Muhammad Saad]

They are also looking at the players who are actually U19 so don't forget that before ruling out the decision of nepotism.

 

[Bewal Express]

If this tournament goes for 2 seasons, we will see quite a few players emerge. I hope they are hot on undocumented 17yr old that are actually 23. If we find 3 or 4 genuine 19yr olds who can bat, it will be worth the investment