PJL Archives

PCB management committee discontinues Pakistan Junior League

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management committee on Saturday decided to discontinue the Pakistan Junior League (PJL) after their second meeting at the National High Performance Centre here.

According to the PCB, the management committee reached a conclusion of discontinuing the PJL, while in a bid to ensure there is a pathway for the high-performing teenagers, agreed to revive junior series on a home and away basis.

“The PCB Management Committee agreed to discontinue the Pakistan Junior League,” PCB said in a statement.

“However, to ensure there is a pathway for the high-performing teenagers and the country continues to produce talented cricketers across all age gaps, it was agreed to revive junior series on a home and away basis.

“It was also agreed to hold discussions with the HBL Pakistan Super League franchises to include an Under-19 player under their Emerging Categories in the playing line-ups.”

Besides the discontinuation of the PJL, the PCB management committee also held an extensive discussion regarding the restoration of the Regional and District Cricket Associations and Departments/Service Organisations in line with the PCB Constitution 2014.

As a result, it was declared that Regional and District Cricket Associations and Departments/Service Organizations are now operational again, and a strategic plan will soon be developed to formally include them in the domestic cricket structure, including participation in the PCB Board of Governors, in due course.

Furthermore, 12 PCB Committees were also approved for creation by the Management Committee, and it was agreed that their composition would be disclosed in due course.

“The Management Committee approved the constitution of 12 PCB Committees and agreed that their compositions will be announced in due course,” stated PCB in a press release.

“The following committees will be constituted: Domestic Restructuring Committee, Domestic Restoration Committee for Region, Department Cricket Restoration Committee, NHPC Remodeling Committee, Restructuring of Women’s Cricket Committee, Cricket Infrastructure Committee, Audit Committee, Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee, Human Resource Committee, Legal Affairs Committee, National Selection Committees and Benevolent Fund Committee,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, the PCB management committee also reviewed the Domestic Contracts and the newly-announced “The Women’s League” and renamed it Pakistan Women’s League.

“The PCB Management Committee confirmed that it will honour and fulfil all Domestic Player Contracts, which are valid until August 2023,” stated PCB.

“The PCB Management Committee, as part of its strategy to continue to invest in women’s cricket, expressed its enthusiasm and commitment to launch The Women’s League, which has been renamed as Pakistan Women’s League,” the statement concluded.

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Three PJL stars added to Pakistan Test squad

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) Interim Selection Committee has added three top performers of the Pakistan Junior League to the national Test squad.

Pakistan Cricket Board on Tuesday announced that all-rounder Arafat Minhas, top-order batter Basit Ali and right-arm fast bowler Mohammad Zeeshan have been added to the squad as part of its strategy and vision to develop, grow and incentivise high-performing talented youngsters.

“We are not only looking at present but also have an eye on the future. In this relation, we have added three top-performers from our age-group cricket so that they can spend time with their stars in the national side and learn how to plan and prepare for high pressure matches.” said the Chairman of Men’s Interim Selection Committee, Shahid Afridi.

PCB Interim Selection Committee has added Arafat Minhas (Multan), Basit Ali (Dera Murad Jamali) and M.Zeeshan (Faisalabad) to the Pakistan Test squad with the objective of providing them international exposure and experience.

Read more details here: https://t.co/GsMNEcKRzp pic.twitter.com/YVLCUSkbiQ

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 27, 2022

“Although the three players will not be available for selection, this initiative will fast track their progress and provide them better awareness, understanding and knowledge about the rigours and demands of top-grade cricket.” he added.

Minhas was the best all-rounder of the inaugural edition of the PJL as he scored 178 runs and took nine wickets for Gwadar Sharks, while Bahawalpur Royals’ Basit Ali was named player and best batter of the PJL after finishing as the top-scorer with 379 runs. He also featured in the U19 series against Bangladesh in Multan in November.

Zeeshan, Basit’s team-mate at PJL, was declared the best bowler of the tournament with 14 wickets.

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Bahawalpur Royals win inaugural Pakistan Junior League title

LAHORE: Bahawalpur Royals fired in the all-important Pakistan Junior League (PJL) final before bowlers decimated Gwadar Sharks to power the side to be crowned as the inaugural champions.

Batting first, the Royals finished at a massive total of 225/3 in their allotted 20 overs, thanks to a disciplined performance from their top four batters.

The Royals’ openers Basit Ali and Shahwaiz Ifran provided the side with a solid foundation as they added 95 runs for the first wicket before Momin Qamar provided a much-needed breakthrough to the Sharks.

Basit scored 35 off 23 deliveries, laced with four boundaries and two sixes.

Momin then struck again in his next over to remove Shahwaiz, who was the core aggressor of the flying first wicket stand.

He top-scored for the Royals with a quickfire 79 off just 32 with the help of seven boundaries and six sixes.

Mohammad Tayyab Arif and Nangeyalia Kharote then put on another brilliant partnership for the Royals as they accumulated 97 runs for the third wicket before the former fell in the 19th over briefly after amassing his half-century.

He scored 56 off 34, including seven boundaries and a six, while Kharote remained unbeaten on 47.

For Sharks, Momin led the way with two wickets, while Mohammad Shoaib made one scalp.

Set to chase a mammoth 226, the Sharks’ batting lineup bundled out for 140 in 15 overs despite a brilliant half-century from Shamyl Hussain.

The left-handed batter put on a fight with a magnificent 67 off just 34 deliveries with the help of seven boundaries and four sixes.

Besides Hussain, no other Sharks batter could chip in significantly in the run chase and only two of them – Arafat Minhas (19) and Danial Ibrahim (20) – could amass double-figures.

Mohammad Zeeshan and Kharote were the picks of the bowlers for the Royals as they bagged three wickets each, while Sajjad Ali claimed two.

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Royals crush Sharks to secure PJL playoffs berth

LAHORE: Bahawalpur Royals’ opener Tayyab Arif and Shawaiz Irfan shone in the run chase against Gwadar Sharks in the 12th match of the ongoing Pakistan Junior League (PJL) on Friday and powered their side to the playoffs.

Set to chase 120, the Royals comfortably sealed victory in the 15th over with eight wickets to spare.

Tayyab and Shahwaiz put on a match-defining 70-run partnership for the second wicket and put their side in command in pursuit of a modest total.

Tayyab, who was making his PJL debut, scored 41 off 33 balls including seven fours and perished while his side needed just two runs.

Shawaiz, however, remained unbeaten on 51 off 30 balls, laced with seven fours and two sixes.

For the Sharks, only Arafat Minhas could pick up a wicket.

Batting first, the Sharks’ batting lineup failed completely and could only amass 119/8 in their quota of 20 overs.

Haseeb Nazim put on a brief fight with his unbeaten knock of 26, while Danial Ibrahim could score 25. The rest of the Sharks’ batters failed to make an impact in the first innings.

Nangeyalia Kharote, Mohammad Zeeshan and Sajjad Ali bagged two wickets each for the Royals, while Tayyab made one scalp.

With their win over the Sharks, the Royals became the third side to book their place in the playoffs of PJL.

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Giants stun Raiders to keep PJL playoffs hopes alive

LAHORE: Gujranwala Giants’ skipper Uzair Mumtaz and left-handed batter Shevon Daniel smashed half-centuries to guide their side to a much-needed victory over Rawalpindi Raiders to keep their Pakistan Junior League (PJL) playoffs hopes intact.

Set to chase 129, the Giants comfortably steered to victory in the 19th over with four wickets to spare, thanks to brilliant half-centuries from Uzair and Daniel.

The Giants were off to a deplorable start to their run chase as the side lost two wickets at a paltry total of eight runs.

Following the slump, skipper Uzair and Daniel stood up for their team and accumulated 98 runs for the third wicket and bolstered their side to chase down the total.

Daniel, however, fell in the 15th over soon after amassing his half-century. The left-handed batter scored 50 off 41 deliveries including three boundaries and two sixes.

The Giants endured another halt in their run chase as they lost three more wickets in just nine deliveries.

Skipper Uzair kept his nerves calm and steered his side over the line with his unbeaten knock of 56. He faced 42 deliveries and smashed three boundaries and two sixes.

Thomas Aspinwall also batted sensibly and played a vital knock of 10* in just six deliveries.

Ali Raza was the pick of the bowlers for the Raiders as he returned with 2/25, while Afnan Khan and Amir Hassan bagged one wicket each.

Batting first on the invitation of Giants’ captain Uzair, the Raiders could score 128 before bundling out in the 20th over.

The Raiders had a decent start to their innings and were 111/2 in the 17th over before Habibullah, who remained the top-scorer for his side, fell after scoring 55 off 53.

The right-handed batter smashed five boundaries and two sixes in the course of his splendid knock.

Following Habibullah’s departure, the Raiders then ran into a frustrating collapse and skittled out for a paltry 128.

Matthew Tromp and Mohammad Ibtisam led the bowling attack for the Giants as they took three wickets each, while Ali Asfand bagged two.

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Haseeb powers Warriors to PJL playoffs as Hunters crash out

LAHORE: Mardan Warriors’ batter Haseeb Khan played a magnificent knock of 49 and powered his side to a tense final over victory over Hyderabad Hunters in the 10th match of the ongoing Pakistan Junior League (PJL) on Friday.

Set to chase 129, Warriors steered to the victory in the final over, thanks to a sensible knock of Haseeb, who remained not out with his 49.

The right-handed batter faced 39 deliveries in his match-winning knock and smashed five boundaries and a six. His brilliance earned him the player of the match award.

Warriors’ win over Hunters on Friday – their third overall in four matches – has confirmed a playoff berth, while Hunters, who endured a fourth straight defeat, crashed out of the tournament.

Wicketkeeper Daud Nazar supported Haseeb in the run chase as the pair added an unbeaten 47-run partnership to drive their side to seal the thriller. Daud scored 23 not out in 14 deliveries with the help of two boundaries and a six.

Opening batter Shahzaib Khan anchored the run chase earlier with a gritty knock of 35 while his side was losing quick wickets.

Ali Naseer led the bowling attack for the Hunters as he bagged three wickets but was expensive, while Mohammad Zubair Jnr and Haseeb-ur-Rehman claimed one wicket each in their respective economical spells.

Batting first, the Hunters could accumulate 128/6 in their quota of 20 overs despite a brilliant half-century from Ali.

The left-handed batter smashed an unbeaten 54 off just 37, laced with four boundaries and two sixes and powered his side to a respectable total after a dismal start.

Besides Ali, no Hunters batter could contribute significantly with Arbaz Khan (22) being the top scorer behind him.

Archie Lenham and Mohammad Irfan picked two wickets each, while Aimal Khan and Abidullah struck out a batter each.

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Arafat’s all-round performance leads Sharks to thrash Giants in PJL

LAHORE: Gwadar Sharks’ all-rounder Arafat Minhas displayed a remarkable all-round performance and powered his side to maintain their unbeaten run in the ongoing Pakistan Junior League as they downed Gujranwala Giants by 44 runs in a low-scoring encounter.

The Sharks, batting first – on the invitation of Giants’ captain Uzair Mumtaz – bowled out for 131 in 20 overs.

Left-handed batter Arafat displayed grit after his side was off to a dismal start and scored a fighting 37 before falling prey to Hasan Ali Jr in the 13th over.

Arafat’s 30-ball knock featured one boundary and a six.

Besides Arafat, Luc Benkenstein was the other notable run-getter as he accumulated 26 off 20 before falling to Hasan Jr.

The rest of the Sharks’ batters made handy contributions with the bat as the side finished at a respectable 131 in 20 overs.

Mohammad Ibtisam and Hasan Jr were the picks of the bowlers for the Giants as they returned with figures of 2/21 and 2/25 respectively. Matthew Tromp, Ali Asfand and Thomas Aspinwall made one scalp each.

Set to chase 132, the Giants’ batting lineup failed completely and bundled out for a skimpy 87 in the 16th over.

Arafat, who top-scored for the Sharks in the first innings, led the bowling charts as well and returned with astounding figures of 4/13.

Besides Arafat, Momin Qamar and Saad Masood bagged two wickets each, while Mohammad Shoaib and Mohammad Ismail struck out a batter apiece.

Giants’ middle-order batter Shevon Daniel looked to put on a fight as he top-scored for his side with a gritty 28, while the rest of the batters failed to leave their mark in the run chase.

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Afnan’s hat-trick leads Raiders to beat Hunters in a rain-hit PJL encounter

LAHORE: Afnan Khan’s hat-trick in the final over, powered Rawalpindi Raiders to successfully defend a 55-run target in five overs against Hyderabad Hunters in a rain-hit eighth match of the ongoing Pakistan Junior League (PJL) on Tuesday.

The Hunters had to chase a revised 55-run target in five overs after a thunderstorm intervened and halted the action when the Raiders were 125/4 in the 16th over.

Set to chase a paltry total, the Hunters were off to a poor start as they were four down for 19 in two overs.

Afnan then bowled a magnificent third over to firm his side’s grip on the game as he leaked away just six runs to leave Hunters needing 30 off 12.

Needing 16 off the final over, Afnan dismantled the Hunters’ hopes of clinching the victory as the left-arm spinner conceded a single run and took the first-ever hat-trick of the league to power his side to glory.

FIRST HAT-TRICK OF PJL 🤩
Afnan Khan is the name 👏🏼 #Next11 l #PJL I #HHvRR pic.twitter.com/xyheYymJzi

— Pakistan Junior League (@ThePJLofficial) October 11, 2022

Hunters finished their disappointing five-over run chase at 40/8.

Batting first, Habibullah and Hassan Eisakhil provided a solid start to the raiders as the pair accumulated 63 in the first five overs.

Habibullah then charged on the right-arm pacer, Fahad Amin, as he accumulated 32 runs for the Raiders in the fourth over of the match.

Hunters then found a moment to cherish when Muneeb Wasif trapped Habibullah in his legs to provide his side with a much-needed breakthrough. The right-handed batter scored 38 off 21 balls, laced with two boundaries and four sixes.

Following Habibullah’s dismissal, Hassan took the responsibility for his side and continued to challenge the Hunters’ bowling attack with clean hitting down the ground.

Mohammad Zubair Jnr’s two direct-hit run-outs then brought his side back into the game as the dismissals of Wahaj Riaz (11) and Kai Smith (1) caused a stutter in the Raiders’ first innings’ proceedings.

Meanwhile, Hassan fell briefly after amassing his half-century as Dubs Wood removed him for 52 off 36 balls including four boundaries and three sixes.

The heavy rainfall then interrupted the Raiders’ first innings at 125/4 in 16 overs.

The winless Hunters are on the cusp of an early exit from the six-team tournament after falling to the Raiders – their third consecutive defeat.

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Thomas stars as Warriors sink Royals by five wickets in PJL

LAHORE: Mardan Warriors opener George Thomas scored a magnificent half-century and aided in his team’s five-wicket triumph over Bahawalpur Royals in the seventh match of the ongoing Pakistan Junior League (PJL) on Monday.

Set to chase 146, the Warriors had to overcome a spirited fightback from the Royals who took three quick wickets to cause a stutter in the chase after a brilliant start by the former’s opening duo.

The warriors’ dependable opening pair of Thomas and Shahzaib Khan provided a solid start to their side as they accumulated 78 runs for the first wicket.

Arham Nawab provided a much-needed breakthrough for the Royals as he removed Shahzaib courtesy of a caught and bowled for 32 off 31 balls, laced with five fours.

Thomas, on the other hand, amassed his half-century in 31 balls and proceeded to attack in a 25-run second-wicket stand with Olly Cox.

Nangeyalia Kharote then struck for the Royals as he removed Cox, who could score a run-a-ball 12.

The Warriors then ran into a frustrating collapse as they lost two more wickets and slipped to 127/5 in the 18th over with their top-scorer Thomas also walking back after accumulating 58 off 39 deliveries including six boundaries and two sixes.

Warriors captain Abbas Ali and Daud Nazar then made sure to drive their side to victory as they put on a match-winning 20-run partnership.

Abbas remained unbeaten on 12 off 10, while wicketkeeper batter Nazar made nine not out.

Mohammad Zeeshan and Arham Nawab claimed two wickets each for the Royals, while Kharote made one scalp.

Batting first, the Royals could manage to amass 145/4 in their quota of 20 overs.

The side had an unwanted start as they lost their in-form opener, Basit Ali, for nine in the second over.

Captain Obaid Shahid then anchored the innings with a 45-run stand with Ali Razzaq before the former fell to his counterpart Abbas for 15.

Razzaq top-scored for the side with 44 off 43 balls, laced with seven boundaries and fell victim to Haseeb Khan in an attempt of improving the scoring rate.

Farhan Yousuf and Kharote then provided the impetus to the Royals as the side managed to score 68 runs in the final six overs.

Farhan remained unbeaten with his cameo of 24 in 13 balls with the help of three boundaries and a six, while Kharote made 14 off 13.

Wicketkeeper batter Shahwaiz Irfan also contributed with a run-a-ball 26.

Abbas, Haseeb, Abidullah and Nabeel took a wicket apiece for the Warriors.

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Shamyl-inspired Gwadar Sharks beat Hunters in final-over PJL thriller

LAHORE: Gwadar Sharks captain Shamyl Hussain pulled off a match-winning knock, propelling his side to seal a thrilling win over Hyderabad Hunters by five wickets in an action-packed game of Pakistan Junior League (PJL) here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.

18-year-old Shamyl blasted 87 off 57, including nine fours and three sixes, while chasing a massive target of 183 to steer his team towards victory.

Arafat Minhas combined excellently with Shamyl for the fourth wicket partnership of 110 runs which saved the day for Viv Richard’s Sharks after they were reduced to 69/3.

Haseeb Nazim, on the other hand, hit a crucial boundary on the second-last ball to ensure the second straight win for his team.

Earlier, Hunter went for a sublime start after they were put to bat as openers Saad Baig and Arbaz Khan built a phenomenal first-wicket partnership of 132 runs with both scoring fifties.

Saad struck nine fours in his blistering knock of 64 off 45 while Arbaz smashed 61 off 41, laced with five fours and four sixes. The later-order batters fully capitalized on the solid foundation laid by the two and scored 50 runs in the last five overs to raise 182/5 in 20 overs.

For Gwadar Sharks, Saad Masood starred with the ball as he returned the figures of 26/3.

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