PSL 4: A Look At The Major Developments Following The Player Draft

Player draft for Pakistan Super League 4 (PSL 4) was organized yesterday in Islamabad. Here is a look at the major developments for each franchise following the event.

Islamabad United

Misbah-ul-Haq’s absence is perhaps the biggest development for the two time champions i.e. Islamabad United. In the absence of Misbah and JP Duminy (who captained the franchise in a significant number of games during the last season) then, pacer Rumman Raees is likely to skipper the squad in the coming edition.

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Peshawar Zalmi

The Champions of the 2017 edition i.e Peshawar Zalmi will be led by Darren Sammy again and the biggest development for them should be the inclusion of Misbah-ul-Haq and the absence of Mohammad Hafeez from the squad. The other major developments include the inclusion of Kieron Pollard and the exclusion of Bengali cricketers Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hassan.

Quetta Gladiators

Quetta Gladiators for the first time will enter the tournament without their premier batsman Kevin Peitersen who has retired from all formats of the game. Moreover, Gladiators have secured the services of Umar Akmal and Sunil Narine in a bumper trade deal with the Qalandars.

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Karachi Kings

The most significant development came for the Karachi Kings well ahead of the draft. Kings made headlines when they replaced star all-rounder Shahid Afridi with arguably the best left-arm fast bowler ever, Wasim Akram as their President. So, for the next season then, Kings will possess an extremely experienced think tank that will include the likes of Wasim Akram, Mickey Arthur, Rashid Latif and Imad Wasim.

Lahore Qalandars

The worst performing team in the history of PSL, Lahore Qalandars has understandably made quite a few changes in its lineup. The biggest development for Qalandars is the inclusion of AB de Villiers in their squad. Moreover, Qalandars have also traded Umar Akmal and Sunil Narine for the next season and will have Mohammad Hafeez (who has left Psehawar Zalmi) as their leader in the fourth edition of the tournament.

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The Sixth Team (Previously Known As Multan Sultans)

The biggest development for “The Sixth Team” (previously known as Multan Sultans) obviously has to be the change of franchise owners who are yet to be finalized. Moreover, the inclusion of banned former Australian skipper, Steven Smith and Shahid Afridi has to be among the other major developments for the franchise.