The much-awaited Pakistan Junior League 2022 is on, and cricket lovers in Pakistan and around the world have already been treated to some thrilling encounters in this highly-popular ‘gentleman’s game’. You can physically witness the spectacle by visiting the designated stadium or catching up on the show via live streaming on your screens. If you are unaware of this maiden edition of the PJL, this post will surely get you up to speed with this brilliant, innovative cricket tournament for under-19 cricketers.
What Is PJL 2022?
The Pakistan Junior League 2022 is a new pro-level 20-over cricket tourney featuring under-19 cricket teams from various Pakistan cities. Inaugurated by the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Ramiz Raja, on the 14th of April, 2022, this cricket league involves six cricket teams participating in a 20-over cricket Single Round Robin tournament format played from the 6th to the 21st of October, 2022.
The PJL 2022 will feature 19 games hosted at the famous Gaddafi Stadium of Lahore. On the 9th of September, 2022, a draft for the PJL was made public, and it saw a total of 24 players from nine countries selected for the tournament. A total of 66 local players were also chosen by the six teams bringing the number of players involved in the tournament to 90. This cricket league is unique because it is the first-ever professional league to involve U-19 cricketers.
Judging from the rave reviews from Pakistan Super League players and the international cricket community, the PJL seems destined to be the first of many more under-19 cricket tournaments that would be held in Pakistan. Indeed, the cricket governing bodies of other countries are also at the tournament as observers. It is more than likely that these countries may adopt their own version of the Pakistan Junior League in their respective countries, which should hopefully lead to a world under-19 cricket tournament in no time.
The Making of the Pakistan Junior League 2022
The current chairman of the PCB, Ramiz Raja, was appointed in September 2021. By November of the same year, he had outlined his vision for cricket in Pakistan. In his plan, he clearly stated how he intended to launch an under-19 PSL, which has never been done before. The schedule for the launch of this U19 PSL was billed for October 2022. This innovative concept aims to help the transition of young talented cricketers into full international players.
As part of this massive project, Ramiz Raja also proposed an “Under 19 T20 World League,” with the U19 PSL being the forerunner. He also discussed the importance of growing women’s cricket in the 67th Board of Governors meeting, which was scheduled three months after his appointment as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board in December of 2021.
To witness the fruition of his dream of a U19 PSL in 2022, Ramiz Raja founded the Pakistan Pathway Cricket Foundation. This foundation was a brilliant initiative designed to groom a hundred young talented cricketers and make them ready for the launch of the league. His vision and dream are now a reality, as the maiden edition of PJL 2022 have kicked off in Pakistan with 90 players spread across six teams who will play 19 games within these two weeks in October.
The Launch of the Pakistan Junior League 2022
The PCB announced the launch of the inaugural PJL via their official website on the 14th of April, 2022. The PCB chairman confirmed that the maiden edition of the Pakistan Junior League would be held in October 2022. He also announced the processes The Pakistan Cricket Board had set up to deal with issues regarding live streaming, franchise owners, title, and category sponsorships.
Six Cricket Teams Kickoff the Maiden Edition of the PJL 2022
PCB has announced the names of the six cricket teams that will participate in the maiden edition of the Pakistan Junior League 2022 on the 30th of August, 2022, with each team representing a Pakistani city. At first, the PCB wanted to enter into a franchise system where the six cricket teams would be those already existing in the Pakistan Super League, but technical and logistic difficulties had put an end to the thought of this type of model. So the teams involved in PJL 2022 are solely owned by the PCB. The table below shows a breakdown of the teams currently participating in the U19 PSL tournament including their year of establishment and designated mentors.
| S/N | CRICKET TEAM | FOUNDED | MENTOR | MENTOR’S COUNTRY OF ORIGIN |
| 1 | Bahawalpur Royals | 2022 | Imran Tahir | South Africa |
| 2 | Gujranwala Giants | 2022 | Shoaib Malik | Pakistan |
| 3 | Gwadar Sharks | 2022 | Viv Richards | West Indies |
| 4 | Hyderabad Hunters | 2022 | Daren Sammy | West Indies |
| 5 | Mardan Warriors | 2022 | Shahid Afridi | Pakistan |
| 6 | Rawalpindi Raiders | 2022 | Colin Munro | New Zealand |
Summary of The Pakistan Junior League 2022
- Host country: Pakistan
- Administrative cricket governing body: Pakistan Cricket Board
- Cricket tournament format: 20-over cricket Single Round Robin
- Number of participating cricket teams: 6
- Maiden edition date: October 6th to October 21st, 2022
- Number of games: 19
- Host stadium: Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, Pakistan
In Conclusion
Now that you know what the PJL 2022 is all about, and you know that it has already commenced, you should prepare yourself for fantastic cricketing action by these super-energetic bunch of young players. You can watch this 16-day tournament via live streaming on PTV Sports, Geo Super App, or Geo Super Youtube/Facebook. Watch out as Pakistan unveils competent and budding cricket players through this under-19 championship. Get ready to witness greatness in the making when you go out to support the young cricketers playing in this trending upcoming cricket tournament.
