Under-19 cricket being ignored!
The issue of Under-19 cricket selection has already been a subject of concern within cricketing circles
This has been a longstanding tradition in Pakistan cricket that whenever a new chairman assumes responsibility at the cricket board, they tend to run the board’s affairs in their own way. The current cricket board, on the surface, appears to be in a bit of a rush. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who earned the nickname “Mohsin Speed” for his work style during his stint as Punjab’s caretaker chief minister, seems keen on speeding up the game, often referred to as the “game of gentlemen.”
The PCB chairman has added three tournaments under the name “Champions Cup” to domestic cricket and assigned responsibilities to five mentors, but the core of Pakistan cricket, its Under-19 cricket, seems to be largely overlooked.
From September 2024 to January 2025, the PCB organised the country’s two biggest domestic tournaments—the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (First-Class) and the President’s One Day Cup, along with the Regional Inter-District Senior (three-day) tournament.
However, at the same time, there has been a noticeable silence in the Under-19 circuit. On September 10, 2024, the PCB abruptly halted the domestic Under-19 tournament, and since then, there has been no clarity on what steps the board is taking for junior-level cricket.
Meanwhile, on the international front, Pakistan’s Under-19 team has been active. However, the selection process has not been a major topic of discussion, given that the board has not even organised a domestic Under-19 tournament.
Instead, selections were based on past performances or personal preferences, which went largely unnoticed. The board had the justification that there was no domestic data available, so the team selection had to be based on older performances or a subjective process.
In January and February 2024, Pakistan’s Under-19 team, led by wicketkeeper Mirza Saad Baig, participated in the ICC Under-19 World Cup in South Africa.
On February 8, 2024, in the second semi-final at Benoni, Pakistan lost to Australia in a thrilling encounter by one wicket. Prior to this, Pakistan’s Under-19 team had lost to UAE by 11 runs in the first semi-final of the Under-19 Asia Cup, organised by the Asian Cricket Council in the UAE.
In November 2024, the Pakistan Under-19 team participated in a tri-nation series in the UAE alongside the host team and Afghanistan. However, in the final played on November 26 in Dubai, Pakistan lost to Afghanistan by 21 runs. In December 2024, during the Under-19 Asia Cup in the UAE, Pakistan managed to reach the semi-finals, but like in the previous three tournaments, they failed to meet expectations in the big match. This time, Bangladesh defeated Pakistan by 7 wickets in the first semi-final on December 6, 2024.
One notable aspect in all these tournaments was that Pakistan faced its traditional rival, India, twice, and on both occasions, Pakistan’s Under-19 team emerged victorious.
On December 10, 2023, during the Under-19 Asia Cup in Dubai, Pakistan won by 8 wickets. Then, again on November 30, 2024, Pakistan beat India for the second time in the Under-19 Asia Cup.
In other words, while Pakistan’s Under-19 team was busy internationally, there has been a glaring silence at the domestic Under-19 level, which is quite surprising.
Moreover, there doesn’t appear to be much interest from the board in this regard in the coming days, which could be a concerning matter. Pakistan’s Under-19 cricket has indeed shown worrying signs in recent times.
However, in the past, Pakistan cricket has been fortunate with a wealth of data and players emerging from the junior ranks into international cricket. Legends like Javed Miandad, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Ahmed Shehzad, and Babar Azam are prime examples of players who rose through the Under-19 ranks to play for the national team.
If the Pakistan Cricket Board continues to overlook Under-19 cricket, it may face severe consequences in the future, particularly in terms of selection.
The issue of Under-19 cricket selection has already been a subject of concern within cricketing circles, and the board’s lack of seriousness in this matter at the domestic level could prove to be dangerous. Therefore, it is crucial that the PCB takes immediate steps to address this issue and prevent the deterioration of Under-19 cricket in Pakistan.
