LAHORE: Former cricketers Daren Sammy, Javed Miandad, Shahid Afridi, and Shoaib Malik were confirmed as mentors for the inaugural Pakistan Junior League, which will be contested in Lahore in October this year, by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday. Miandad, who appeared in six World Cups between 1975 and 1996, will serve as league mentor, while Afridi, Sammy, and Shoaib will serve as team mentors. Six major world titles, 1,559 international matches, 43,057 runs, and 992 wickets are shared by the four legends. Sammy and Shahid were teammates on the Peshawar Zalmi club that won the Pakistan Super League at Gaddafi Stadium in 2017. Miandad will serve as an overall mentor, aiding the mentors of the six teams and the players during the tournament.
Afridi, Sammy, and Shoaib will be in the team dugouts leading up to and during the Pakistan Junior League, which will be played at the tail end of the Pakistan vs. England T20I, which is set to conclude on October 2. In addition to their roles as team mentors, the four household celebrities will serve as event ambassadors, promoting and publicising the first-of-its-kind event with their knowledge, influence, and appeal. Three more team mentors will be named soon
“I am glad that we have been able to attract Javed Miandad, Daren Sammy, Shahid Afridi, and Shoaib Malik as mentors for the Pakistan Junior League,” PCB chairman Ramiz Raja stated. Their participation in the Pakistan Junior League will help us fulfil one of our event objectives, which is to assist future generations of cricketers in developing a competitive and match-winning approach and mindset. The participation of the four titans also underlines that we are on pace to provide a fantastic event that will benefit Pakistan cricket in multiple ways. We are devoted to generating new properties, in addition to establishing a winning environment and strengthening the abilities and temperament of the teens, and the Pakistan Junior League is an event in that direction.”
