The Pakistan Super League starts in Dubai on Thursday, with a lavish array of international cricket talent set to participate. There are a few players not due to be in the UAE, though, who might have been welcome additions to the tournament.
1. Virat Kohli (India)
Najam Sethi, the league’s chairman, did actually provide an open invitation for India’s star players to sign up for the PSL last year, even though Pakistanis are prohibited from the Indian version. It always was unlikely they would take up the offer, given the rivalry between the two countries. The fact India are playing against Australia at the same time meant the whole idea was a non-starter this time around, too.
2. Moeen Ali (England)
No sooner had the England off-spinner been snapped up to play for Quetta Gladiators, he had pulled out of the tournament citing personal reasons. He would have been a popular draw for the PSL, but Pakistan’s supporters appreciated his reasons. He is undertaking Umrah pilgrimage instead.
3. Carlos Brathwaite (West Indies)
The match winner for the West Indies in the final of the World T20 was due to play for Quetta Gladiators in the second PSL. However, the West Indies Cricket Board have made it mandatory for players to take part in their domestic one-day competition to earn a national call-up. Brathwaite opted to play in that, and will likely be part of the West Indies squad to face England, which also clashes with the PSL, as well.
4. Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)
Given the form he has been in UAE conditions, the leg-spinner would have been a major weapon for any of the PSL franchises, had it not clashed with Afghanistan’s series against Zimbabwe. He took 12 wickets in a first-class match against England Lions in December in Abu Dhabi, and in last month’s Desert T20, he had the remarkable economy rate of 3.61 from the five matches Afghanistan played in winning the title.
5. Chris Lynn (Australia)
Named player of the tournament in Australia’s Big Bash League, even though he only played five matches, such was the explosiveness of his batting. Perhaps it is lucky he didn’t come. At least it will be safer for the neighbours. Lynn hit one six out of the Gabba during the BBL, a whopping 121 metres. The grounds of Dubai and Sharjah would not have been big enough to contain him.
6. Andre Russell (West Indies)
Russell earned plenty of personal glory, as well as hard cash, in the time it took for a one-year ban to be handed down for him violating dope-test whereabouts rules. He was a big hero of the opening PSL, where he played for the eventual champions Islamabad United. His absence will be keenly felt this time around.
7. Shaun Tait (Australia)
When the Australian paceman played for Peshawar Zalmi last year, it was difficult to think of a faster pace partnership anywhere in cricket than that formed between him and Wahab Riaz. Their alliance was due to be broken this time around anyway, as Tait was set to join Lahore Qalandars. Injury has prevented him from making the trip at all, though.
8. Paras Khadka (Nepal)
T20 leagues around the world still seem unwise to the PR value, not to mention cricket expertise, of getting Nepal’s leading cricketer involved. Khadka, a fine all-rounder, is the most popular player in Nepal. If he played in the PSL, it would attract millions of extra sets of eyeballs in Kathmandu and beyond.
9. Mohammed Naveed (UAE)
The pace spearhead of the UAE bowling attack had thought he was on the brink of breaking into the big leagues. He impressed against India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan at the Asia Cup T20 last year, and Aaqib Javed, the former UAE coach, suggested he would take him with him to his new employers, Lahore Qalandars, in the PSL. That did not eventuate, though, much to Naveed’s chagrin.
10. Mohammed Shahzad (Afghanistan)
One of the most luminous images of the first PSL was when Mohammed Nabi won a nail-biting pool match for Quetta. A number of Afghans could have lit up this edition, too, had they not been playing a series against Zimbabwe at the same time. There are few more watchable players anywhere in cricket than Mohammed Shahzad, the squat Afghan wicketkeeper with a penchant for the extrovert.
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