PCB receives nominations from more than 140 foreign players for Pakistan Junior League

The inaugural edition of the Pakistan Junior League (PJL) has received major encouragement as more than 140 emerging talents completed their registrations for the upcoming tournament through their respective cricket boards as well as various clubs and professional representatives.

The inaugural edition of the PJL will be held at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, commencing on the 6th of October, and the final list of players eligible for the draft, including foreign nominations, will be shared later. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has received widespread appreciation for its latest venture from several cricket boards across the globe.

The tournament director, Nadeem Khan, thanked the cricket boards for showing their support for the tournament, which will provide a platform for junior cricketers in the world to exhibit their skills and talent. He stated the board’s aspirations of inspiring young cricketers in their younger years.

“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,” PJL Tournament Director Nadeem Khan said in an official statement.

The PJL has received backing from several cricketing boards across the globe

While they supported the PCB and backed their initiative, South Africa and New Zealand cricket boards did not nominate their players as the event dates clashed with the academic examinations of their eligible players. PCB received nominations from eight Test-playing (ICC full member) boards, including Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, Ireland, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, and Zimbabwe.

Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Nepal, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Scotland, and the UAE are the other nations that sent player entries for the tournament. The newly introduced tournament received over 2500 videos through the PJL social media campaign, submitted by aspiring cricketers in the country.

The videos are currently being assessed by PCB coaches and the selected players will be added to the draft in the upcoming days. Notably, the players will have to be born on or after the 1st of September 2003 to be eligible for the inaugural tournament.