PSL 2017 Best XI: Team of the tournament

After 24 eventful and thrilling matches, the second edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL 2017) finally came to a fitting end with the finals held at Lahore. The finals marked the return of cricket of international sorts make way to Pakistani soil yet again. The Brendon McCullum-led side Lahore Qalandars were the only unlucky franchise to have missed out on the playoffs berth. But truth be told, they played good cricket in the tournament too. Such is the format that a point or two could eventually see a team ousted from the league. Talking about the performances, the Peshawar Zalmi emerged as the team to beat in the tournament. Some splendid all-round show saw them finish at the top of the points table and later capping of the title too. The team that saw a massive upsurge towards the end to have the tables turned was Karachi Kings. They needed to win 3 of their last four matches to qualify and they did it in style. Despite a certain Chris Gayle in the lineup, it was the young blood like Babar Azam that came to the fore as the heroe of the tournament. Azam emerged as just one of the top performers of the league stages. The Kings upset the defending champions Islamabad United in the 2nd Qualifying finals to make it to the 3rd Qualifying finals. They met the spirited Zalmis, who were hurt by Quetta Gladiators in the 1st Qualifying finals. Peshawar beat Karachi to set up a revenge date with the Gladiators in the finals and eventually managed to lift the coveted silverware too. All in all, it was a tournament full of surprise performances. Here we pick the PSL best XI based on the herculean showdown by the players: Kamran Akmal – Peshawar Zalmi Kamran Akmal. (Photo Source: Twitter) Kamran Akmal had a point to prove as he came into the second edition of the PSL. He has been an out of favour candidate for the national side and has been toiling hard on the domestic front to get back in the scheme of things for national selection. He probably has served his case decently enough in this edition of the PSL. In the 8 league matches that he played for the Peshawar Zalmi, Akmal had 208 runs to his name with a strike rate of 123.07. After having started poorly with a couple of ducks, he gradually picked pace and finished with two fifties to his name in the league matches. In the 2nd Qualifying final against the Karachi Kings, he blasted the first and only PSL ton of the season to power his side to the finals. He finished as the leading run-getter of the tournament with 353 runs to his name in 11 matches at an average of 32.09 and 16 sixes – the most by any player this season. Babar Azam – Karachi Kings Babar Azam. (Photo Source: Twitter) Young Pakistani batsman Babar Azam could well be termed as the player of the season for Pakistani cricket. He had already made a name for himself in international cricket coming into the tournament. His three consecutive ODI tons against West Indies last had made him a big name in the Karachi Kings outfit. He had changing partners in the opening role this season. While his partners kept struggling with their inconsistencies, Azam singlehandedly gave the Kings crucial starts in the season. He amassed 291 runs in 10 matches at an average of 32.33. He hit the most number of boundaries in the tournament this year with 36 fours to his name. He started peaking towards the end of the league stages, which clicked really well for the Karachi outfit. However, much to the disliking of his side, Azam failed to impress in the playoffs and that safely be attributed to their ouster from the race to the finals. Dwayne Smith – Islamabad United (Photo Source: Twitter) Hard-hitting West Indies batsman Dwayne Smith is known to be an impact player in the T20 format of the game. He did not disappoint this time either. Playing for the defending champions Islamabad United, Dwayne Smith finished as the leading run-getter of the league stages with 266 runs to his name in 8 matches. He shifted his positions from middle order to the top order but ensured he was amidst the runs on most occasions. At the end of the league stages, he had an impressive average of 38 and a strike rate 115.15. With 2 fifties to his name, Smith had the highest score of unbeaten 72 that helped Islamabad win a crucial last ball thriller against Peshawar Zalmi towards the second half of the league stages. The disappointment for him came in the 2nd Qualifying final against Karachi Kings where he could score just 8 runs. The defending champions were knocked out as Smith’s time at the PSL this year ended. Rilee Rossouw – Quetta Gladiators Rilee Rossouw. (Photo Source: Twitter) Rilee Rossouw recently got into the news for leaving his international side South Africa in a bid to sign the Kolpak deal. Soon after the signing, he found himself travelling to the UAE for the PSL. He was looked upon as a big impact overseas player and he did not let his franchise Quetta Gladiators down even a bit. He finished as the highest run-scorer for his franchise in the PSL 2017 and the fourth highest overall. In the 9 matches that he played, he has 255 runs to his name with a staggering average close to 42.5. His best of unbeaten 76 came against the Karachi Kings. In the match, he had formed a brilliant partnership with skipper Sarfraz Ahmed, who struck an unbeaten fifty too. Rossouw did not participate in the finals of the tournament and opted not to travel to Pakistan. His services were deeply missed by the Quetta Gladiators in the finals. Kevin Pietersen – Quetta Gladiators Kevin Pietersen. (Photo Source: Twitter) Batting along with Rilee Rossouw, English batsman Kevin Pietersen was a master at work during the PSL 2017. Despite being out of international cricket for quite some time now, he has not let the rust get to his game. He looked exceptional with his cross shuffle pyrotechnics and shouldered the bulk of batting responsibility of Quetta Gladiators in the season. He finished with 241 runs in the 9 matches that he played with an average of 34.42. He had a fiery strike rate inching to 151.57. It was his whirlwind unbeaten 88 of just 43 balls that blew away Lahore Qalandars in a league match fixture. Just like Rilee Rossouw, even he chose not to travel to Lahore for the finals of the tournament. The double dent to the Gladiators proved costly as they lost the finals against the Peshawar Zalmi. Shahid Afridi – Peshawar Zalmi Shahid Afridi. (Photo Source: Twitter) The veteran Pakistani all-rounder did not peak in all the matches that he featured in, but when he did, Afridi showed why he is remarked as one of the best hitters of the cricket ball. Early in the tournament, Afridi hit a brilliant 54 to show glimpses of vintage Shahid Afridi. It was right after that match when Afridi announced his retirement from all forms of the game. But that innings was not the best that he had in stock for the fans. His best came against the Quetta Gladiators when he powered his side to an improbable win with a whirlwind 45 off just 23 deliveries. He hit the joint-most number of sixes in the tournament at the end of the league stages and had 15 maximums – the second most in the season overall – to boast about by the end of the tournament. In the 1st Qualifying final, he had blasted 34 off just 11 balls and had his side almost over the line. He had reduced the equation down to 7 off 7 balls in the match but his side eventually fell short by 1 run and Quetta Gladiators had eked out a narrow win. Sarfraz Ahmed – Quetta Gladiators (C & WK) Sarfraz Ahmed. (Photo Source: Twitter) Sarfraz Ahmed makes it to this list of PSL Best XI based on his man management skills. Ahmed, who is being tipped as the next captain of Pakistan team in all formats of the game, showed exemplary skills as a leader of the Quetta Gladiators side. He was happy to play the second fiddle to the veteran duo of Rossouw and Pietersen when needed. When Rossouw clobbered an unbeaten 76, he found support in Ahmed who finished with a brisk 56*. When KP had hammered an unbeaten 88, Ahmed was there too, with a calm and patient 45. He had 144 runs to his name in the league stages at a decent average of 28. By the end of the tournament, Sarfraz had 183 runs to his name in 10 matches with a strike rate of 131.65. Even in the finals against the Peshawar Zalmi, it was Sarfraz’s dismissal that ended all hopes of the Gladiators. During his stay at the crease, he looked threatening with an 11-ball 22 laced with 5 elegant boundaries. Sunil Narine – Lahore Qalandars Sunil Narine. (Photo by Randy Brooks/Sportsfile) The only player from the Lahore Qalandars to feature in the elite list is West Indies tweaker Sunil Narine. Narine finished as the leading spinner in the league stages, leaving behind his team mate Yasir Shah in the list. He was also the third highest wicket taker with 10 wickets in 8 matches. He bowled with a miserly economy of mere 6.46 and had a bowling average of 20.7. His strike rate with the ball was as impressive as 19.2. While his heroics with the ball was predictable, he turned out to be the surprise pinch-hitter with the ball. He had 11 sixes to his name – the most in the tournament league stages along with Kevin Pietersen and Shahid Afridi. Narine proved yet again why he is one of the most preferred players when it comes to the shortest format of the game. Sohail Khan – Karachi Kings Sohail Khan. (Photo Source: Twitter) Sohail Khan finished the league stages as the top most bowler. He continued his heroics in the playoffs too and remained as the highest wicket taker of PSL 2017. He emerged as a genuine wicket taker with the new ball for the Karachi Kings. He played 7 matches in the league stage and topped the wicket-taking charts with 14 scalps to his name. In the next couple of matches in the playoffs, he took his tally of wickets to 16 in 9 games. He was one of the five bowlers to have bowled a maiden in this edition of the tournament. He bowled with an average of 15. His economy of 7.61 is an impressive one, considering that he bowled in the powerplay with a flying new ball. He had the best strike rate with the ball in the tournament and bowled with a striking ability of 11.8. His team, Karachi Kings, were knocked out after their defeat to eventual champions Peshawar Zalmi in the 3rd Qualifying finals. Rumman Raees – Islamabad United Rumman Raees. (Photo Source: Twitter) Rumman Raees emerged as one of the most promising talents of the PSL 2017. The Islamabad United pace bowler featured in just 7 matches but managed to finish as the third highest wicket-taker of the tournament. He was also the leading wicket-taker for his franchise and scalped 12 wickets in 7 matches with a bowling average of 13.50 – the most impressive among all the bowlers in the tournament. He did not leak runs either in the process of taking wickets. With an economy of just 6.19, he served a case for himself in the tournament. His strike rate with the ball was 13 – next to only Sohail Khan in this edition of the PSL. He was one of the four bowlers this season who managed to take a four-wicket haul. He had his best figures of 4/25 this season. Wahab Riaz – Peshawar Zalmi (Photo Source: Twitter) Over the years, Wahab Riaz has emerged as one of the most consistent performers in Pakistan cricket team. Despite all his consistency and performances, he has failed to get his share of accolades that he deserves. Yet again the wily pacer was at his very best in the PSL 2017. Plying his trade for the champions Peshawar Zalmi, Riaz scalped 15 wickets in 10 matches. He was the leading wicket-taker for his side and the second highest wicket-taker in the tournament. He was a miser with the ball and gave away runs at an economy of just 6.15. He bowled with an average of 13.53 in the tournament. His strike rate of 13.2 was the third most impressive among the top 10 bowlers in the tournament after Sohail Khan and Rumman Raees. His best figures this season was of 3/24.

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