Too much potential to shine

PJL’s first edition came to an end and it introduced the world to the future superstars

The first edition of the Pakistan Junior League (PJL), which was a one-of-its-kind tournament for Under 19 cricketers, concluded on Friday.

Gaddafi Stadium Lahore hosted the historic event that provided opportunities to budding cricketers like never before.

Young cricketers from different parts of the world featured in the tournament, whose skill sets left the audience and game enthusiasts in absolute awe.

These young cricketers spent time with their respective mentors Sir Viv Richards, Shahid Afridi, Daren Sammy, Colin Munro, Imran Tahir and Shoaib Malik, who must have provided these future stars with life-changing wisdom.

One could see the evolution and development of players even during the tournament. In the initial days of the league, the U19 cricketers were a tad shaky, but as the campaign progressed, they became more confident and started to express themselves more freely.

Eventually, the world saw the coming generation’s leading batters, bowlers and keepers. However, in the galaxy of these young stars, a few shined brighter than others.

They impressed the viewers and pundits, leaving little to no doubts that they will soon be representing their respective countries and ruling the world of international cricket.

Breakthrough batters

Basit Ali – Bahawalpur Royals

Pakistan is known for producing raw talents, be it batters or bowlers. Basit Ali is one such player, who promises a fortune.

Belonging to Balochistan’s city of Dera Murad Jamali, Ali got highlighted while his time with Bahawalpur Royals during the PJL.

The right-handed opening batter averaged around 50 in the tournament with a healthy strike rate of over 145. He became the first-ever centurion of this unique league after scoring 102 runs at a strike rate of 176 against Gujranwala Giants.

“I want to represent my country,” said a determined Basit while talking to Bol News. “The opportunity to showcase my talent in the PJL will help me achieve that.”

The young batter is aiming to improve his skills and become good enough to represent his country one day.

“My focus is to improve myself and develop into a solid cricketer. I want to play the Pakistan Super League next and impress everyone there so I can don the coveted gold star on my chest,” he added.

Balochistan, the province he belongs to, is not known for producing many cricketers. In fact, Shoaib Khan, who played four T20Is for Pakistan, is the only cricketer from the province to ever play for the national team. Ali wants to be the next one from Balochistan to wear the Green colour.

For now, the gifted batter was happy to play at the PCB headquarters under the lights, claiming it to be a different experience.

“It was my dream to play at Gaddafi Stadium. Playing under lights is a different experience. It feels so good to be in the middle with the light towers on,” he said. “My presence here is a testimony that dedication and hard work never go to waste.”

Ali urged other cricketers from his home town to work hard and never give up on their dreams. “Like me, they can also play here one day, on such a big stage. I also want to thank the PCB for helping us realise our dreams.”

Luc Martin Benkenstein (Gwadar Sharks)

PJL was not only a fantastic platform for local stars, but it was also equally rewarding for foreigners. South Africa-born England batter Luc Martin Benkenstein stunned everyone with his performances, that too in alien playing conditions while playing for Gwadar Sharks.

The 18-year-old, who plays for Essex County, scored at an impressive average of over 37 with the help of two half-centuries.

Benkenstein believes his side that played the tournament final is successful because of how they play as a unit.

“I just think that the way we played for each other, the way we played as a team helped us win,” he said, “There were some great teams in the tournament but the passion that we had – coming from the top with Coach Mushtaq [Ahmed] – the boys played as a team and it really kept us motivated.”

Shevon Daniel (Gujranwala Giants)

Another foreign cricketer that impressed everyone was Sri Lanka’s Shevon Daniel. The left-hander, who started playing after seeing his brother play for the Sri Lanka U19 team, represented Gujranwala Giants in the event.

The aggressive batter scored 176 runs with an average of 44.00 and maintained a strike rate of over127.

The youngster, who idolises Sri Lanka’s star batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa, called PJL a great opportunity for budding athletes like him.

“I started playing cricket very young after seeing my brother play for Sri Lanka U19,” he said. “PJL is a great opportunity for youngsters and I thank the PCB for providing us with this chance. I want to be like Bhanuka Rajapaksa one day as we both play in a similar style.”

Promising bowlers

When it comes to bowling, it was once again local talent that took the world by storm. A number of pacers and spinners performed well in the tournament and it looked like the future of Pakistan bowling is in safe hands.

Saad Masood (Gwadar Sharks)

Saad Masood was the only bowler to take a five-wicket haul in the PJL. The leg-spinner is a valuable addition to the list of Pakistan spinners and promises to be a future star.

Saad is the brother of Umair Masood, who has represented Pakistan at the U19 level and still plays for Northern in domestic cricket.

The wrist spinner is leading the bowling chart with ten wickets in six games.

Interestingly, Saad has been an off-spinner all his life and just switched to leg spin on the advice of his coach Mushtaq Ahmed, who is counted as one of the best leggies Pakistan has ever produced.

“I was an off-spinner but started to bowl leg-spin during the Gwadar Sharks camp after Mushi bhai asked me to do so,” he revealed. “Having Mushi bhai around is really helpful. We speak a lot about the art of leg spin and discuss how I have to bowl in different conditions.”

It is a dream for any growing cricketer to even shake hands with the great Sir Viv Richards.

Meanwhile, Saad was lucky enough to not only spend time with him but also got a hug from the West Indian legend for his inspiring performance.

“The greatest moment of my life came when Sir Vivian Richards hugged me [after the match],” he recalled. “It is something I will never forget. When I got to know I will play for Gwadar Sharks and he will be our mentor, I was overwhelmed.”

The young leg-spinner shared that the legendary batter is an extremely helpful and fun person to be around. “He looks after us. When someone is not performing, he goes to that player himself and gives him a pep talk. It is huge for us,” said Saad.

Arafat Minhas (Gwadar Sharks)

Saad’s teammate Arafat Minhas is also among the highest wicket-takers in the tournament. The 17-year-old, who belongs to Multan, made great contributions with both the bat and the ball.

The kid, who aims to play all three formats for the country, bagged nine wickets in six games at an economy rate of 6.42.

“I have my small goals and try to achieve them. However, my ultimate goal is to represent Pakistan and that too in all three formats,” he said. “Gradually, I will be able to make it there.”

Mohammad Zeeshan (Bahawalpur Royals)

A tall fast bowler, Mohammad Zeeshan, is also seen as a bright future prospect. The 6-ft-8 inch tall right-arm pacer has already been a household name as he played for Central Punjab and was a net bowler for England during their historic tour to Pakistan.

The 16-year-old, while representing Bahawalpur Royals, took nine wickets in six matches at an economy rate of just 7.41.

This tournament, which was a brainchild of PCB Chairperson Ramiz Raja, was a whiff of fresh air. It was exciting to see young talent from all around the world rubbing shoulders with their international counterparts and playing such competitive cricket.

It will be interesting to see how these potential stars fare in international cricket and how beneficial this league proves to be for their growth.

*This story was filed on October 19, 2022 and therefore, the statistics might vary by the time it will be available for the readers.