PSL4 Draft
Flickr photo by Imtiaz Ahmed shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-ND 2.0) license.

PSL4 Draft: A look at where each team stands

Muhammad Naqi·
Pakistan Super League (PSL)
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As February draws closer, the PSL4 draft has spurred everyone’s excitement for another season of the Pakistan Super League…

The PSL4 draft was held in Islamabad last Tuesday, with all six teams hoping to round off their squads. Let’s have a look at how strong the teams are on-paper after making their picks:

With South African run-machine AB de Villiers and former Australian captain Steve Smith considered the top picks of the PSL draft, teams let go of some big names – including JP Duminy and Brendon McCullum. Instead of their more experienced counterparts, the sides preferred young foreign talent like Sandeep Lamichhane and Phil Salt.

Islamabad United

Squad: Luke Ronchi, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Asif Ali, Mohammad Sami, Rumman Raees, Hussain Talat, Waqas Maqsood, Sahibzada Farhan, Zafar Gohar, Ian Bell, Samit Patel, Phil Salt, Cameron Delport, Mohammad Musa, Nasir Nawaz, Wayne Parnell, Zahir Khan, Amad Butt, Rizwan Hussain

The reigning champions retained ten players from their title-winning squad and did not make significant changes as a result. The likes of Shadab Khan, Luke Ronchi, Faheem Ashraf, and Samit Patel were supplemented by new entries like Ian Bell and Cameron Delport in the PSL4 draft. Retaining the same core might prove handy for another season – but with the other teams shaking things up, the champions’ reliance on existing talent could be exploited.

Peshawar Zalmi

Squad: Darren Sammy (C), Wahab Riaz, Hasan Ali, Kamran Akmal, Liam Dawson, Umaid Asif, Khalid Usman, Sameen Gul, Kieron Pollard, Misbah-ul-Haq, Dawid Malan, Umar Amin, Wayne Madsen, Sohaib Maqsood, Jamal Anwar, Nabi Gul, Chris Jordan, Waqar Salamkheil, Ibtisam Sheikh, Samiullah Afridi

As one of the most successful franchises of the PSL, having appeared in two finals, Peshawar Zalmi welcomed West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard and former Pakistani captain Misbah-ul-Haq into their team during the PSL4 draft. While their bowling seems to possess the best combination of fast bowlers in the league, their batting line-up could prove troublesome. Can the ageing Misbah be expected to fire? Or will they have to rely on the firepower of Kamran Akmal and Dawid Malan throughout the season?

Karachi Kings

Squad: Imad Wasim (C) , Colin Munro, Mohammad Amir, Babar Azam, Colin Ingram, Usman Khan Shinwari, Mohammad Rizwan, Ravi Bopara, Sikandar Raza, Awais Zia, Usama Mir, Aaron Summers, Sohail Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ali Imran, Abrar Ahmed, Aamer Yamin, Ben Dunk, Liam Livingstone, Jaahid Ali

It would be fair to praise the brains behind Karachi Kings as they’ve managed to maintain the right balance between foreign and local players. The additions of Sikandar Raza and Colin Munro in the PSL4 draft, along with the retention of Babar Azam and Colin Ingram, allowed the team to fill the holes in the batting line-up. Similarly, the bowling unit has Mohammad Amir, Usman Shinwari, and Imad Wasim – all among the best in the current era. The all-rounder department could arguably have been improved, but the squad boasts a strong combination overall.

Lahore Qalandars

Squad: Hasan Khan, Rahat Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Yasir Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Anton Devcich, Agha Salman, Sohail Akhtar, AB de Villiers , Mohammad Hafeez, Carlos Brathwaite, Corey Anderson, Sandeep Lamichhane, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Imran, Umair Masood, Brendan Taylor, Gauhar Ali, Aizaz Cheema, Haris Rauf

This seems to be the finest squad Lahore has had in recent seasons. The opening pair of Fakhar Zaman and Anton Devich can power through at the start of the innings while superstar AB de Villiers can anchor the innings with Muhammad Hafeez in the middle. The Qalandars also have a diverse range of spin options from the young Sandeep Lamichhane to the experienced Yasir Shah. However, the lack of quality fast bowlers will mean added pressure on Shaheen Afridi and Rahat Ali.

Quetta Gladiators

Squad: Sarfraz Ahmed (C), Sohail Tanvir, Sunil Narine, Umar Akmal, Shane Watson, Mohammad Nawaz, Rilee Rossouw, Anwar Ali, Saud Shakeel, Dwayne Bravo, Fawad Ahmed, Mohammad Asghar, Danish Aziz, Ahsan Ali, Ghulam Mudassar, Naseem Shah, Harry Gurney, Ahmed Shehzad, Azam Khan, Jalat Khan

A team worthy of winning the title, Quetta Gladiators have faced unfortunate mishaps in the last three seasons. Some of their key players couldn’t join the team in Pakistan last season, but they’ll be hoping to bring the whole squad home this time around. Dwayne Bravo and Sunil Narine are among the stars of the draft, while Fawad Ahmed will add more bowling options to the side. The Gladiators still need to work out their opening combination, with no particularly stable pair standing out.

The Sixth Team

Squad: Shoaib Malik, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Shan Masood, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Irfan, Umar Siddiq, Mohammad Junaid, Steven Smith, Shahid Afridi, Joe Denly, Qais Ahmad, Nicolas Pooran, Laurie Evans, Nauman Ali, Mohammad Ilyas, Daniel Christian, Tom Moores, Ali Shafiq, Shakeel Ansar

With Multan Sultans’ agreement terminated just over a week ago, the sixth team is still in search of new owners and a name. The PCB, however, is managing all of its affairs in the meantime. Steve Smith’s presence is the key to success for a team that also boasts Shoaib Malik’s experience, Shahid Afridi’s star-power, and a decent bowling line-up. The team could use a couple more big-hitters, which means all eyes will be glued to Joe Denly when the opportunity to slog arises.

The fourth edition of the Pakistan Super League begins on 14th February 2019. Pakistan hosts the last eight matches of the season, including another final in Karachi.