In a major development, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to take full ownership of the inaugural edition of the Pakistan Junior League (PJL) rather than selling team rights.
The Pakistan cricket board CEO, Faisal Hasnain, said in a press release, “Instead of selling team rights, the PCB has made a strategic decision to take complete ownership of the inaugural edition.”
The cricket board decided to set aside the franchise model for the inaugural edition after bidders failed to match the reserved price for franchise ownership by a significant margin earlier last month.
Earlier this year, Ramiz Raja, the chairman of the cricket board, announced the launch of the PJL, a T20 league for Under-19 cricketers, to uncover hidden talent in the country as a backup for the national team.
Earlier this week, the cricket board announced six teams from Bahawalpur, Gujranwala, Gwadar, Hyderabad, Mardan, and Rawalpindi to compete in the first edition, which will take place in Lahore from October 5 to 21.
Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Sir Vivian Richards, Colin Munro, Imran Tahir, Darren Sammy and Javed Miandad have already joined as mentors for young cricketers participating in the league.
