In Pakistan cricket, it has become a longstanding tradition that every time a new chairman takes the reins at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the board's direction changes according to their personal approach.
The current administration, under the leadership of PCB Chairman Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, appears eager to accelerate progress in the game.
Naqvi introduced the "Champions Cup" tournaments and expanded domestic cricket by assigning additional responsibilities to five mentors.
However, amidst these changes, one crucial element seems to have been overlooked—Pakistan's Under-19 cricket.
Between September 2024 and January 2025, the PCB organised Pakistan’s largest domestic tournaments—the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (First-Class), the President’s One Day Cup and the Regional Inter-District Senior (three-day) tournament.
However, during this period, there has been a notable silence surrounding the domestic Under-19 scene.
On September 10, 2024, the PCB unexpectedly halted the domestic Under-19 tournament. Since then, no updates or actions have been announced regarding junior-level cricket.
Despite this, Pakistan's Under-19 team has remained active on the international front.
However, the lack of a structured domestic Under-19 tournament has meant that selections have largely been made based on past performances or personal preferences, without the backing of current domestic data.
This has raised concerns, with the board justifying the selections by claiming there was no recent domestic data available.
In January and February 2024, Pakistan's Under-19 team, led by wicketkeeper Mirza Saad Baig, competed in the ICC Under-19 World Cup in South Africa.
Pakistan reached the semi-finals but suffered a heart-wrenching one-wicket defeat to Australia on February 8.
Earlier, in the Under-19 Asia Cup held in the UAE, Pakistan lost to the UAE by 11 runs in the first semi-final.
Later in November 2024, Pakistan participated in a tri-nation series in the UAE alongside Afghanistan and the hosts.
Although Pakistan reached the final, they were beaten by Afghanistan by 21 runs on November 26.
In December 2024, during the Under-19 Asia Cup in the UAE, Pakistan made it to the semi-finals once again but failed to deliver in crucial moments, losing to Bangladesh by seven wickets on December 6.
Despite these setbacks, one bright spot for Pakistan’s Under-19 team was their victories over traditional rivals India.
On December 10, 2023, Pakistan triumphed by eight wickets in the Under-19 Asia Cup and again on November 30, 2024, they beat India for the second time in the competition.
However, while the Under-19 team has been active internationally, the domestic Under-19 cricket scene remains stagnant, raising concerns about its future development.
Surprisingly, the PCB’s lack of attention to this age group could have long-term consequences.
In the past, Pakistan produced numerous cricketing legends such as Javed Miandad, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Ahmed Shehzad and Babar Azam—players who all emerged from the Under-19 ranks to play for the national team.
The continued neglect of Under-19 cricket could lead to severe repercussions, particularly in terms of player selection for the national team.
This issue has already sparked concern within cricketing circles and the PCB’s failure to take serious action at the domestic level could prove detrimental to Pakistan's cricketing future.
It is imperative that the PCB refocus its attention on Under-19 cricket to safeguard the next generation of players and ensure sustained success at the international level.
Syed Yahya Hussaini
