PSL 2017 Group stage: Best XI

After 20 eventful and thrilling encounters, the second edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has reached the business end of it. 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. 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 heroes of the tournament. Azam comes out as just one of the top performers of the league stages.

Here we pick the PSL best XI of the group stages based on the herculean showdown by the players:

Opener – Dwayne Smith – Islamabad United

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. 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.

Opener – Babar Azam – Karachi Kings

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 single-handedly gave the Kings crucial starts in the season. He amassed 265 runs in 8 matches at an average of 36.85. He has hit the most number of boundaries in the league stages with 31 fours to his name. He started peaking towards the end of the league stages, which clicked really well for the Karachi outfit.

No.3 – Rilee Rossouw – Quetta Gladiators

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 league stages and the third highest overall. In the 8 matches that he played, he has 238 runs to his name with a staggering average close to 48. 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.

No.4 – Kevin Pietersen – Quetta Gladiators

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 201 runs in the 8 matches that he played with an average of 33.5. He had a fiery strike rate inching to 147. It was his whirlwind unbeaten 88 of just 43 balls that blew away Lahore Qalandars in a league fixture.

No.5 – Kamran Akmal – Peshawar Zalmi

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.

No.6 – Sarfraz Ahmed – Quetta Gladiators (C & WK)

Sarfraz Ahmed makes it to this list of PSL Best XI of league stages 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 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.

No.7 – Shahid Afridi – Peshawar Zalmi

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 the 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 and had 11 maximums to boast about by the end of the league stages.

No.8 – Kieron Pollard – Karachi Kings

Kieron Pollard, the big hitting six machine from the Caribbean Islands, took his time to settle in the tournament. He got a lot of starts early on in the tournament. But the real finish came in the match against Lahore Qalandars, when he slam banged the opposition out of the tournament.

It was his quick fire 45 that kept the Karachi Kings alive in the tournament at that stage of the tournament. He batted with an average of 49.66 in the tournament and had the best strike rate at the end of the league stages – 179.51.

No.9 – Sunil Narine – Lahore Qalandars

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 along with Kevin Pietersen and Shahid Afridi.

No.10 – Sohail Khan – Karachi Kings

Sohail Khan finished the league stages as the top most bowler. 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. He was one of the five bowlers to have bowled a maiden in this edition of the tournament.

He bowled with an average of 13.35. His economy of 7.63 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 10.5.

No.11 – Mohammad Sami – Islamabad United

The veteran Pakistani pacer brought in all his experience coming into the tournament. The pace bowler bagged 10 wickets in the 8 matches that he played. His tally of 10 wickets is next to only Sohail Khan. His average with the ball was 19.7 and that reflects the kind of accuracy and guile that he bowled with.

He did not leak runs either and a low key economy of just over 7. His strike rate of 16.4 with the ball looks fairly impressive and was the second best among the top five bowlers at the end of the league stages.