PSL 2023: Akeal Hosein, Rovman Powell, and Odean Smith to depart from PSL due to national commitments

Pakistan Super League 2023 is in its last stages with Peshawar Zalmi and Multan Sultans clashing in a crucial fixture on Friday (March 10). Both teams have won four of their eight group-stage matches and are in contention for playoffs qualification. They might finish in the second position with wins in their remaining two games but will be without the services of some key players.

Peshawar Zalmi will be without the star all-rounder Rovman Powell and Multan Sultans will miss Akeal Hosein in their respective last group-stage games. Both players are part of the West Indies's ODI squad for the upcoming series against South Africa starting March 16. Fast bowling all-rounder Odean Smith will also miss Quetta Gladiators' last game against Multan Sultans due to national duty.

The West Indies are currently engaged in a two-match Test series against the Proteas and then will play three ODIs, and will end the tour with three T20Is starting March 25. This will be their first series since Shai Hopes' appointment as a full-time ODI captain and Rovman Powell as the new T20I skipper. Powell is also named as the new vice-captain in ODIs while Kyle Mayers will be his deputy in T20Is.

Rovman is enjoying a good run in PSL 2023 for the Babar Azam-led Peshawar Zalmi with 187 runs from seven innings with one fifty and a wicket. However, his international numbers in white-ball cricket definitely need improvement. He has scored 897 runs in 45 ODIs at an average of 23.00 and 890 runs in 55 T20Is at an average of 23.42 with a century in each white-ball formats so far.

Akeal Hosein has appeared in just three games for Multan Sultans in PSL 2023 so far with just one wicket. He also struggled in the ILT20 2023 with just seven wickets from nine games for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders but has impressive numbers in international cricket.

Odean Smith has also failed to make an impact for Quetta Gladiators with just five wickets in six innings at an economy rate of 10.34 so far. Gladiators are already out of the race for the playoff qualification with just three wins this season and will face Multan Sultans in their last group-stage game on March 12.