10 players to watch out for in PSL 2017

The second edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is all set to get underway. The players are ready to take the center stage and the fixtures have fallen into position. A new brand of cricket is about to make way in the homeland of the Pakistani cricket team. Unlike the inaugural edition, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that the finals of the second edition will be played in Pakistan. No wonder why the build up and the hype around the tournament is unprecedented. Talking about the players, a plethora of players have been drafted across the five participating franchises. There have been replacement drafts named in case any of the players leave the tournament midway due to any reason. This edition of the PSL promises to come up with a perfect blend of youth and experience, and domestic and international stars. Many English players have lined up for the tournament and will be making their debuts this season. While all players have the potential to go great guns in the tournament, here we pick the top 10 players to watch out for in the PSL 2017: 1. Imad Wasim (Karachi Kings) Imad Wasim. (Photo credit KARIM SAHIB/AFP/Getty Images) Imad Wasim, the former Pakistan U19 skipper, shot to fame after the first edition of the T20 league. This year, he will again look to reinstate his claim for the national side with good performances for the Karachi Kings. Imad Wasim is a handy middle-order batsman who can take the long handle when needed. His ability to bowl left-arm spin with the new ball makes him a good asset for the team. Wasim, who has a fair share of international experience to his name, has played 76 T20 matches to claim 74 wickets. The striking feature is his economy rate, which is just above 6. With the bat, he strikes with a strike rate of 123.56, which is very impressive for a lower middle order batsman. If Imad Wasim continues to have his midas touch this year, the Kings could be the team to beat in the tournament. Also read- 5 Exciting battles fans will look forward to in an IPL v PSL clash 2. Ryan McLaren (Karachi Kings) Ryan McLaren – 5/19. (Photo Source: AFP) Ryan McLaren is a T20 veteran. The 33-year old South African pacer has played 156 T20 matches and scalped 140 wickets at an average of 28.54. He has previously shown his talent in the IPL and is best remembered for his all-round show for the Mumbai Indians a couple of editions ago. He is yet to make a mark in the PSL though. Come the 2017 edition, and the Protea player is ready to take up the challenge. He has been an out of favor candidate for the national side. Hence, his stint in the tournament could well help him pave his way back to the international arena sometime soon. The 54-ODI veteran is a very handy batsman in the lower-order and has a couple of historic performances under his belt for the national side. 3. Brendon McCullum (Lahore Qalandars) Brendon McCullum of New Zealand. (Photo by MICHAEL BRADLEY/AFP/Getty Images) The former New Zealand skipper continues to rule the hearts of the fans despite having retired from the international format. He continues to be a nightmare for the bowlers in the shortest format. He was recently seen leading the Brisbane Heat in the 6th edition of the Big Bash League. It comes as no surprise that he was one of the most followed players in the 6th edition of the BBL. McCullum did not let down with his batting either. He finished as the top scorer for his team in this season and the fourth-highest overall. He amassed 323 runs in 8 matches at an average of 46.14. His strike rate was 170.89, next to only Chris Lynn among the top 10 batters in the tournament. In the PSL, he is all set to lead the Lahore Qalandars in the second edition. 4. James Franklin (Lahore Qalandars) (© Getty Images) The 36-year-old Kiwi all-rounder, James Franklin, played his last international match back in 2013. However, he has continued to be a star attraction in the T20 leagues like the IPL, MCL, BPL, and now the PSL. He was a key member of the Rajshahi Kings side that ended up as the finalists of the Bangladesh Premier League in 2016. His knock of unbeaten 63 against the Chittagong Vikings was a masterclass in itself. Later, his unbeaten 30 against the Khulna Titans in the knockouts saw the Kings make it to the finals. Franklin was brilliant with the bat and played the role of the finisher in that tournament. Now, the Lahore Qalandars will be hopeful that Franklin does the same for them and manages to be the power hitter they need lower down the order. 5. Tymal Mills (Quetta Gladiators) Tymal Mills. (Photo Source: Twitter) Left-arm pacer Tymal Mills is one of the typical fast bowlers who has the ability to clock speeds close to 150kmph at a regular basis. The English pacer is regarded as a T20 specialist and has been a part of various T20 leagues across the globe. Mills has had a tough time in his cricket career. A congenital disease in his back had forced him to retire from First Class cricket back in 2015. Since then, he plays only the shortest format of the game. He made his T20I debut for England against Sri Lanka last year. He was most recently seen playing for England in the T20I series against India, where he did decently well to earn a few praises. Mills has earlier served his trait in the New Zealand domestic T20, Big Bash League in Australia and the Bangladesh Premier League. He played a couple of matches for Brisbane Heat this year before joining the England squad for the India tour. 6. Rilee Rossouw (Quetta Gladiators) Rilee Rossouw. (Photo by RODGER BOSCH/AFP/Getty Images) Rilee Rossouw has made the news headlines a few days ago when he suddenly decided to sign a Kolpak deal and bid adieu to his international career with the South African national side. However, the explosive batsman is keen on being in the news for his on-field heroics rather than his off-field decisions. The southpaw is an attacking middle-order batsman has played 86 T20 matches and amassed 2089 runs with a strike rate of 129.91. He has 12 fifties to his name in the t20 matches and has the ability to take the game away with his pyrotechniques. The Quetta Gladiators would want him to be at his aggressive best this season. 7. Haris Sohail (Peshawar Zalmi) Haris Sohail of Pakistan. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images) Promising Pakistan batting talent Haris Sohail is all set to a make comeback to big time cricket with the second edition of the PSL. The southpaw was under the threat of a premature end to his career following a failed knee surgery last year. All eyes would be on him to see how he fares up in the tournament post the recovery. The 27-year-old batsman was advised to undergo a knee surgery by the medical panel of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in 2015. Haris Sohail has made 22 ODI appearances for Pakistan and his last appearance came in May 2015. He was also a part of the Pakistan team in the 2015 ICC World Cup. The Sialkot batsman had previously been a revelation in the domestic circuit and was tipped to be the next big thing in Pakistan cricket. He has amassed close to 4000 runs in 57 First Class matches with a double ton to his name. He averages 52.01 in first-class cricket. 8. Chris Jordan (Peshawar Zalmi) Chris Jordan. (Photo by Morne de Klerk/Getty Images) The T20 specialist death overs bowler from England, Chris Jordan, has made giant strides in the world of cricket. Jordan is renowned for bowling immaculate yorkers in the end overs of the innings. At times, he might go for a few runs early on, but is often regarded as a wicket taker in the shortest format of the game. He is also tipped as the best fielder in the England national team at the moment. In the 72 T20 matches that he has played, he has scalped an equal number of wickets with a best of 4/11 and a strike rate as low as 18.5. Peshawar Zalmi will have high hopes from the Barbados-born cricketer. 9. Ben Duckett (Islamabad United) Ben Duckett. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) Ben Duckett made a promising start to his international career with good scores in the top order during the Test series in Bangladesh in 2016. He was praised for his attacking gameplay despite the hostile playing conditions. Needless to say, Duckett cares very less about how the conditions play out and is an expressive batsman when at the crease. His string of low scores in the India tour that followed saw him being axed from the national set-up. Now, he is keen on making a strong statement yet again. He was recently heard quoting that he will not hold back from playing his natural game and will go out in the middle with an attacking mindset. With the kind of intent he has shown, he will surely be a value addition for the defending champions. 10. Saeed Ajmal (Islamabad United) Pakistani bowler Saeed Ajmal. (Photo by DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP/Getty Images) The 39-year-old veteran off-spinner from Pakistan, Saeed Ajmal, was once an indispensable part of the national side. Now, he is struggling to make a comeback to the side. There can certainly be none other who is craving for a brilliant season other than him. The 212 international matches star will be plying his trade for the defending champions this season. Ajmal has featured in 183 T20 matches and has bagged 260 wickets at a strike rate of mere 15.8. He averages an impressive 16.99 with the ball and has an economy of just 6.44. With 8 four-wicket hauls to his name, Ajmal needs no introduction to the modern format of the game. If gets in touch with his supreme best, the defending champions Islamabad United will have a good time this season too.

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10 players to watch out for in PSL 2017

3. Brendon McCullum (Lahore Qalandars)

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