5 Pakistan cricketers who can earn big if allowed for IPL 2021 Auction

Pakistan and India aren’t at good terms with each other and this has affected the gentlemen’s game too. Due to political tension between the two neighbouring nations, no bilateral series are held between the cricket teams. Also, the players of both countries aren’t allowed to participate in the franchise cricket of the other one.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) hosted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is one of the most celebrated T20 leagues across the world and boasts of having the presence of the greats of the game. IPL gives a platform to the cricketers of all the countries to come and play together and learn from the greats of the game.

However, the Pakistan players are not allowed to participate in the T20 Championship. However, the Men in Green have a plethora of players who can add a lot of value to the IPL franchises if allowed to participate in the cash-rich league.

In this article, let’s take a look at 5 Pakistan cricketers who can earn big if allowed for IPL 2021 Auction: –

1. Mohammad Hafeez

Age is just a number of some players and the perfect example for this is Pakistan’s, Mohammad Hafeez. Despite being a 40-year-old, the right-hander is living the golden moments of his career especially in the shortest format of the game. Hafeez was the wrecker-in-chief for Pakistan’s success in T20Is in 2020 as he was the one carrying all the responsibility of scoring the runs for the Men in Green.

Hafeez finished 2020 with 415 runs from 10 T20Is, having averaged a prolific 83.00 and a strike-rate of 152.57. Hafeez crossed the 50-run mark on four occasions last year in T20Is. He has now accumulated the fifth-most runs in T20 Internationals with 2,323 from 99 T20Is at 27.98.

Thus, it won’t be wrong to say that the presence of Mohammad Hafeez will be a delight for many IPL franchises on the auction table and they will be keen on roping the technically sound batsman, who boasts of having both talent and experience, in their respective squads.

2. Shoaib Malik

Having an all-rounder as good and experienced as Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik will be a delight for any T20 team across the globe. Apart from being a decent off-spinner, Malik is the kind of batsman who has the exposure of batting at all the positions. He is a solid opener, a dependable number 3, and a workman middle-order batsman.

In his long international career of 21 years, the right-hander has represented Pakistan in 35 Test matches amassing 1898 runs and 32 wickets along with 287 One Day Internationals and 116 T20 Internationals. The veteran has 7534 runs and 158 scalps to his name in the 50-overs format along with 2335 runs and 28 scalps in the shortest format.

3. Shaheen Afridi

Left-arm quick Shaheen Afridi boasts of having an infinite potential and can do wonders on the big stage for a long period of time if groomed and nurtured properly. The 20-year-old had gained the limelight with his stunning performance in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). In 7 matches, the left-arm quick has 11 wickets.

Since his debut in 2018 in the shortest format of the game in a home series against the West Indies, Afridi has garnered a huge fan following due to his consistent performances for the Green Army. The youngster has 22 scalps under his belt in 18 games at an economy rate of 7.78 and an average of 23.8.

There is no denying the fact that India has less number of left-arm seamers who have proven to be beneficial on the cricket ground. Thus, all the eight franchises are always eager to add a good left-arm quick in their squad who can constantly take wickets while keeping a check at the economy rate. Shaheen Afridi has all the attributes that make him a perfect fit for the Indian pitches and he can have a lot of teams going behind him in the IPL auctions.

4. Shadab Khan

The right-handed batsman and right-arm leg break bowler hailing from Mianwali, Shadab Khan, has all the ingredients for being one of the highest buys during the IPL auction if Pakistan players are allowed to participate in the T20 extravaganza. Shadab is renowned as an impressive batsman and a decent spinner who can contribute with both the bat and the ball.

Since his debut in 2017 against West Indies, the 22-year-old has featured in 46 T20 Internationals for Pakistan scoring 183 runs at an average of 14.1 and strike rate of 124.5. Along with that, he also has 53 wickets to his name at an economy of 7.28 and an average of 22.6.

Shadab had a dream debut in the shortest format of the game as he was adjudged the Man of the Match award for his exemplary figures of 4-0-7-3 against West Indies. He had bowled one of the most economical spells on his T20I debut and had three such awards to his name in his first 10 T20 Internationals.

5. Babar Azam

Pakistan’s skipper across all formats, Babar Azam, has proven himself as one of the modern greats alongside the Fab 4 of cricket that includes Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Joe Root, and Steve Smith. Azam is ranked second in the T20I batsman rankings by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and thus would attract excellent value for money if he gets to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Since his debut in 2015 against Zimbabwe, Babar Azam has amassed a whopping 3580 and 1681 runs in 77 ODIs and 44 T20 Internationals at an average of 55.9 and 50.9 respectively. In addition, the batsman is widely hailed as a white-ball specialist and boasts of having a strike rate of 130+.

With such stunning numbers to his name, Babar Azam would have made as a perfect middle-order or top-order batsman for any franchise and would have been at the receiving end of a hefty pay-cheque during the IPL auctions.