Pakistan Junior League official team names revealed

The first-ever season of the Pakistan Junior League (PGL) is about to kick off and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the names of the six participating teams.

The team names were announced as part of the build-up for the league which primarily aims to provide opportunities to teenagers.

Here are the names of six teams:

• Bahawalpur (Southern Punjab)
• Gujranwala (Central Punjab)
• Gwadar (Balochistan)
• Hyderabad (Sindh)
• Mardan (Khyber Pukhtunkhwa)
• Rawalpindi (Northern)

Earlier this month, the PCB also unveiled the team mentors which will be responsible for grooming the youngsters and helping them with years of their experience.

These mentors will be mentoring the respective PGL teams:

• Imran Tahir — Bahawalpur
• Shoaib Malik — Gujranwala
• Viv Richards — Gwadar
• Darren Sammy — Hyderabad
• Shahid Afridi — Mardan
• Colin Munro — Rawalpindi

PCB Chief Executive Faisal Hasnain stated, “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 organize schools, clubs, City Cricket Association, Cricket Association, and PCB-organized 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,” he added.

“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, and 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”, said PCB Chief Executive.