Tag: Pakistan Junior League

LAHORE: Gwadar Sharks bowlers displayed a combined effort to decimate Rawalpindi Raiders’ on a paltry 116 and powered their side to a resounding 34-run victory in the third match of the ongoing Pakistan Junior League (PJL).

Batting first on the invitation of the Raiders’ captain Habibullah, the Sharks put on a decent performance with the bat to pose a commendable 150/5 in the allotted 20 overs.

Left-handed batter Arafat Minhas top-scored for his side with a magnificent knock of 40. His 24-ball innings featured three boundaries and two sixes.

Besides Arafat, foreign batter Luc Martin Benkenstein chipped in with a vital 33 up the order and laid a solid foundation for a competitive total. He faced 25 deliveries and smashed four boundaries.

The rest of the Sharks batters also made important contributions with the bat and the side as a result set a decent target for the Raiders.

Afnan Khan was the pick of the bowlers for the Raiders as he bagged three wickets for a mere 20, while Usman Khan and Amir Hassan struck out a batter each.

Set to chase 151, the Raiders’ batting lineup failed completely and skittled for a skimpy 116 in 19 overs, thus, handing a remarkable 34-run victory to the Sharks.

Aseer Mughal and Wahaj Riaz resisted with gritty knocks of 26 and 23 respectively, while the rest of their batters seemed clueless against the Sharks’ bowling attack.

Mohammad Shoaib led the bowling attack for the Sharks with astounding figures of 3/12, while Benkenstein, Momin Qamar, and Arafat claimed two wickets each. Mohammad Ismail, on the other hand, made one scalp.

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LAHORE: Bahawalpur Royals opening batter Basit Ali played a match-defining knock of 54 before bowlers displayed a combined effort to rattle Hyderabad Hunters’ batting line-up for a paltry 113 and aided in their team’s eight-wicket victory in the second match of the ongoing Pakistan Junior League (PJL).

In the second fixture of the ongoing PJL, the Royals sealed a dominating victory over the Hunters by eight wickets with 44 balls to spare.

Batting first on the invitation of the Royals captain Obaid Shahid, the Hunters’ batting line-up failed completely and could only accumulate 113 before bundling out in the 19th over.

The Hunters had a decent start to their innings as they were 61/1 in the seventh over before Nathan Edward broke the important second-wicket partnership that saw Saad Baig and Moiz Rana add 47 runs.

Saad, who fell victim to Edward in the seventh over, remained the top-scorer for his side as he scored 34 off 24 deliveries with the help of five boundaries and a six.

Following his dismissal, the side then ran into a frustrating collapse and could not recover despite Muneeb Wasif’s gritty knock of 26 in the middle.

Sajjad Ali and Arham Nawab claimed three wickets each, while Nangeyalia Kharote, Johan Mahne, and Edward made one scalp each.

Set to chase a paltry 114, Royals comfortably steered to the victory in the 13th over for the loss of two wickets, thanks to a brilliant half-century from Basit.

The right-handed batter smashed 54 off just 30 balls, laced with 11 boundaries.

Royals captain Obaid also chipped in the run chase as he played a sensible knock of 32* off 26 balls. Wicketkeeper batter Shahwaiz Irfan scored 18 not out.

For Hunters, only Mohammad Zubair Jr and Haseeb-ur-Rehman managed to make one scalp apiece.

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LAHORE: To attract the maximum number of spectators in the stands amid the inaugural edition of the Pakistan Junior League (PJL), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) allowed free entry to cricket fans.

According to the details, cricket fans can now witness the PJL fixtures in the stadium free of cost as the PCB has decided not to charge a penny from the fans.

As a result, today’s PJL fixture between Hyderabad Hunters and Bahawalpur Royals is likely to attract a significant turnout.

Cricket fans can enter the Gaddafi Stadium from Centre Point at Gulbarg.

It is pertinent to mention that the Mardan Warriors beat Gujranwala Giants by eight wickets in the curtain-raiser on Thursday.

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LAHORE: Mardan Warriors bowler Aimal Khan decimated Gujranwala Giants’ batting line-up as he claimed three wickets for 15 before opening batter George Thomas smashed a brilliant half-century in the run chase and led his side to start their Pakistan Junior League (PJL) campaign on a winning note.

Set to chase a paltry 132, the Warriors comfortably steered to the glory in the 17th over for the loss of two wickets, thanks to their openers Thomas and Shahzaib Khan.

The opening pair laid a solid foundation for the run chase as they accumulated 101 runs for the first wicket before Shahzaib missed on his well-deserved half-century by five runs.

Shahzaib scored 45 off 39 deliveries, laced with five boundaries and two sixes.

Thomas, who was dominating the Giants bowlers, also fell in the next over briefly after amassing his fifty and scored 50 off just 32 balls including five boundaries and three sixes.

Warriors’ skipper Abbas Ali (10*) and Olly Cox (19*) then partnered sensibly for the third wicket and made sure to drive their side over the line as they put on an unbeaten 27-run partnership.

Mohammad Ibtisam and Shan could manage to make a scalp each for the Giants.

The Giants, batting first on the invitation of Warriors captain Abbas, could only manage to amass 131/7 in 20 overs despite a brilliant half-century from their captain Umair Mumtaz.

The right-handed batter scored 54 off 47 with the help of seven boundaries.

Besides Mumtaz, the Giants batter failed to make an impact and seemed clueless against Warriors’ bowling attack and thus could not bolster their side to a defendable total.

Right-arm pacer Aimal was the pick of the bowlers for the Warriors as he returned with magnificent figures of 3/15 in his four overs, while Mohammad Nabeel and Abidullah bagged two wickets each.

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LAHORE: The mentor of the Pakistan Junior League (PJL) team Rawalpindi Raiders Colin Munro landed here in the wee hours of Wednesday as the one-of-its-kind league, scheduled to commence on October 6.

Munro, who is one of the PJL team mentors beside South Africa’s Imran Tahir, checked in at Allama Iqbal International Airport late at night on Tuesday.

Taking to Twitter, PJL team Raiders shared the picture of Munro’s arrival in the country.

“Look who’s here,” the Raiders wrote.

It is pertinent to mention that the inaugural edition of the PJL will feature six teams and will take place from October 6 to October 21 at Gaddafi Stadium.

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LAHORE: Renowned Pakistan rappers Young Stunners will perform at the glittering opening ceremony of the inaugural Pakistan Junior League (PJL), Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja announced on Friday.

With the inaugural edition of the one-of-its-kind PJL commencing on October 6, the PCB chairman made a major announcement as he revealed that the famous rap duo of Talha Anjum and Talha Yunus will perform at the opening ceremony of the tournament.

Taking to Twitter, Ramiz revealed that the famous rap band in Pakistan will perform at the PJL opening ceremony.

“Young Stunners, no pun intended, will perform at the opening ceremony followed by fireworks that will light up the night sky inshallah!” Ramiz wrote on Twitter.

Young Stunners ,no pun intended ,will perform at the opening ceremony followed by fireworks that will light up the night sky inshallah! https://t.co/tz0Yy76cro

— Ramiz Raja (@iramizraja) September 29, 2022

 

Later, Talha Anjum, one of the band’s rappers, reacted to the announcement, writing, “Mr. Chairman, we are so excited to be a part of this!!”

Mr. Chairman we are so excited to be a part of this!! #NextEleven

— Talha Anjum (@talhahanjum) September 30, 2022

 

It is pertinent to mention that Young Stunners has already featured in the official anthem of the sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), alongside Aima Baig and Naseebo Lal.

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LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board on Wednesday unveiled the schedule of the inaugural edition of the Pakistan Junior League (PJL) slated from October 6 to 21 at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. 

The opening match of the first of its kind, U19 T20 league, will witness Gujranwala Giants and Mardan Warriors locking horns against each other.

🚨 PJL 2022 SCHEDULE 🚨

Read more: https://t.co/p3aDGTfGD1 #Next11 l #PJL pic.twitter.com/WMBTyBonhr

— Pakistan Junior League (@ThePJLofficial) September 21, 2022

A total of 19 matches will be played in the 15-day tournament which includes 15 round matches followed by four playoffs including the 21 October final (Friday). Each of the six sides will play five matches in the single-league format (one against each of the five teams).

To provide the local cricket fans an extended opportunity of seeing the next generation of cricket stars play under the guidance of team mentors Javed Miandad (league mentor), Sir Vivian Richards (Gwadar Sharks), Shahid Afridi (Mardan Warriors), Shoaib Malik (Gujranwala Giants), Imran Tahir (Bahawalpur Royals), Daren Sammy (Hyderabad Hunters) and Colin Munro (Rawalpindi Royals), a total of four double-headers will be staged in the inaugural edition – all on weekends.

The first double-header day (Saturday, 8 October) will see Rawalpindi Raiders and Gwadar Sharks play their opening match of the tournament. Gujranwala Giants will play Bahawalpur Royals in the second match of the day.

Other than the day-night fixtures,15 matches will be staged under lights. The day-night matches start at 3:30pm while the night matches (single-headers) start at 8pm. The tournament final will also start at 8 pm.

The local players in the meantime continue to prepare for the PJL at the ongoing Engro Cricket Coaching Project under the PCB Pathway Programme at the National High Performance Centre, Lahore.

The foreign players will join their respective sides at the beginning of the tournament support period – 28 September. The foreign mentors will join their teams in the first week of October. All six sides will start practice with their squads and coaching staff during the event support period.

All matches will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Pakistan Junior League 2022 schedule:

• 6 October – Gujranwala Giants vs Mardan Warriors
• 7 October – Bahawalpur Royals vs Hyderabad Hunters
• 8 October – Rawalpindi Raiders vs Gwadar Sharks; Gujranwala Giants vs Bahawalpur Royals
• 9 October – Hyderabad Hunters vs Gwadar Sharks; Rawalpindi Raiders vs Mardan Warriors
• 10 October – Bahawalpur Royals vs Mardan Warriors
• 11 October – Hyderabad Hunters vs Rawalpindi Raiders
• 12 October – Gujranwala Giants vs Gwadar Sharks
• 13 October – Mardan Warriors vs Hyderabad Hunters
• 14 October – Rawalpindi Raiders vs Gujranwala Giants; Bahawalpur Royals vs Gwadar Sharks
• 15 October – Hyderabad Hunters vs Gujranwala Giants; Bahawalpur Royals vs Rawalpindi Raiders
• 16 October – Mardan Warriors vs Gwadar Sharks
• 18 October – Qualifier 1 (1 vs 2)
• 19 October – Eliminator (3 vs 4)
• 20 October – Qualifier 2 (Loser Qualifier 1 vs Winner Eliminator)
• 21 October – Final (Qualifier 1 Winner vs Qualifier 2 Winner)

Match timings:

• Double-headers – 3:30pm & 8pm
• All single-headers – 8pm

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LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday announced that more than 250 local and around 175 overseas players between the age of 16 and 19 years would be available for selection by the six teams in the players’ draft scheduled here on Thursday of the inaugural edition of the Pakistan Junior League (PJL).

According to the details, only 66 local players will be selected out of the total number of available players,11 in each of the six sides.  The foreign players will vie for 24 spots, four in each side.

The first-of-its-kind T20 league will take place here from October 6 to 21 featuring six teams namely Bahawalpur, Gujranwala, Gwadar, Hyderabad, Mardan and Rawalpindi. Players born on or after 1 September 2003 are eligible to participate in the inaugural edition.

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

Moreover, a total of 17 players from the PJL social media video campaign have been invited to the National High Performace Center (NHPC) in Lahore for age verification and trials. The players selected amongst them will be added to the draft list.

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.

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).

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LAHORE: The CEO of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Faisal Hasnain on Tuesday announced that the cricket board will take complete ownership of the Pakistan Junior League (PJL) instead of selling the teams’ rights.

In a formal statement issued by the PCB, Faisal affirmed that the PCB will fully assume ownership of the domestic league in an effort to demonstrate its higher significance, context, and permanence.

“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 a high value, context and is here to stay,” Faisal stated.

“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,” he added.

The PCB CEO then went on to confirm the names of the six teams and their mentors, while also asserting that the cricket board received tremendous interest in the PJL within and outside Pakistan.

“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,” PCB quoted Faisal.

The six teams competing in this first-of-its-kind U19 domestic cricket competition are Bahawalpur (Southern Punjab), Gujranwala (Central Punjab), Gwadar (Balochistan), Hyderabad (Sindh), Mardan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), and Rawalpindi (Northern).

PCB to retain team ownership rights for the inaugural edition of PJL as sides and their mentors are confirmed.

Complete details here ⤵️https://t.co/vTSA4OM9z4 pic.twitter.com/PiTkqeJjxq

— Pakistan Junior League (@ThePJLofficial) August 30, 2022

South Africa’s legendary spinner Imran Tahir will serve as the mentor of Bahawalpur, Pakistan’s two-time ICC tournament winner Shoaib Malik will be Gujranwala’s mentor, and West Indies great Vivian Richards will be the mentor of Gwadar.

Another West Indian, Daren Sammy, a two-time ICC T20 World Cup winner will the mentor for Hyderabad, 2009 T20 World Cup winner and star all-rounder Shahid Afridi will be the mentor of Mardan, while the explosive New Zealand batter Colin Munro will be the team mentor of Rawalpindi.

Javed Miandad, a former captain of Pakistan and PCB Hall of Famer, will serve as the roaming umbrella mentor, supporting and guiding all the parties.

The PCB further stated that the players’ draft for the PJL, which will be played on a single-league basis, will take place in Lahore on September 6.

More than 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.

The first-of-its-kind T20 league will take place here from October 6 to 21. Players born on or after 1 September 2003 are eligible to participate in the inaugural edition.

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LAHORE: Former South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir and New Zealand explosive batter Colin Munro has been appointed as the mentors for the two teams of the upcoming Pakistan Junior League (PJL).

The two foreign cricketers will join former Pakistan and West Indian captains Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, and Darren Sammy as the team mentors. The legendary Pakistan batter Javed Miandad, on the other hand, has already been appointed tournament mentor.

With the inclusion of Munro and Imran, the overall tally of team mentors has risen to five. Whereas, the sixth team mentor will be announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in the due course.

In a PCB released statement, Imran expressed delight at being appointed as a team mentor for the PJL, while also asserting that he backs the idea of the junior league as it will amplify the pool of players for the country.

“Returning to Lahore for the Pakistan Junior League in a team mentor’s role is one of my most satisfying achievements as I still owe a lot to my country of birth. This is an exciting opportunity to work with emerging slow bowlers and help them develop and flourish so that they have a chance to emulate the great spinners this country has produced,” Imran stated.

“I am fully behind the philosophy of Pakistan Junior League as this creates a tough and challenging environment for the players with high expectations, and only those who will clear this scale will go leaps and bounds in their careers. With the amount of international cricket being played, this event will help Pakistan to amplify their pool of players, which, in turn, will increase playing opportunities and earning the prized national cap,” he added.

Explosive Kiwi batter Munro, on the other hand, termed the initiative as a game-changer for Pakistan cricket and lauded the PCB for investing in youngsters and securing the future of the game.

“I am excited to be part of the inaugural Pakistan Junior League, which I believe will be a game-changer for Pakistan cricket. Investing in youngsters, securing the future of the game and ensuring the national side continues to move in an upward direction should be the objectives of all administrators and I think the PCB has taken a lead here by launching this tournament, which will expose the young talent to the rigours and demands of top-level cricket and help Pakistan in the longer run,” Munro stated.

Welcome onboard, @manuz05 & @ImranTahirSA 👋🏼

Read more: https://t.co/blwYtzItJf #Next11 l #PJL pic.twitter.com/9ZchF1sPwU

— Pakistan Junior League (@ThePJLofficial) July 29, 2022

 

“Working with youngsters, sharing knowledge and helping them grow in their careers is something that interests and excites me, and I am really looking forward to being a part of the Pakistan Junior League. Having seen firsthand experienced the tremendous talent at the HBL Pakistan Super League, I have no doubts the Pakistan Junior league will produce future champions of world cricket,” he added.

The six-team PJL will roll into action on October 4, while the final of the event will take place on October 17. The first of its sort T20 league will be contested by under-19 teams and will feature local as well as international players. The teams will recruit the young players via a draft system.

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