LAHORE – Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken a key step towards the launch of the Pakistan Junior League (PJL), the first-ever international league of its kind in the world.
The soft launch of PSL-style junior league took place on Thursday when PCB released the Request for Expressions of Interest for various available rights relating to the Twenty20 competition, which is scheduled for October this year.
The PCB seeks expression of interests from the interested parties for the rights related to Title Sponsorship, Live-Streaming, Category Sponsorships and Team Franchises.
The interested parties are invited to download the Expression of Interest form from the PCB website under Documents/Pakistan Junior League and email their filled in EOIs at bidding@pcb.com.pk before 26 April 2022.
PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja: “I am thrilled and excited that after days of hard work and planning, we have today released the Expression of Interest document for the Pakistan Junior League, the first-ever international league of its kind in the world, the first edition of which we plan to organise this year in October.
“This will be a city-based league with players to be selected through a draft system involving international age-group cricketers. The PCB will create an environment of brilliance with legends and icons of the game sitting in player dug-outs in the roles of mentors and coaches, and broadcast coverage from the top draw.
“A young apprentice can be molded into a genius with right environment, which we intend to create in this format.
“The PJL integrates very nicely with the PCB Junior Pathways Programme in which the PCB, through strategic partnerships, have provided contracts to 100 best cricketers who will now receive coaching from foreign experts, education at five-star institutions and monthly stipends of PKR30K each.
“Initiatives like the PJL are all about creating opportunities for cricketers, identifying the talent, nurturing them into world-class players and closing the gap between domestic and international cricket.”