PSL 2018: Five young players to watch out for

After two successful editions of the Pakistan Super League (PSL 2018), the mega event is set to return for the third season later this month. In what promises to be the epitome of grandeur the upcoming season will see Pakistan host the knockout stages of the tournament as well. With the new season just around the corner, the teams have bolstered their squads in a bid to win the coveted title. The tournament has garnered a lot of popularity ever since its inception and PSL 3 will also feature a plethora of international stars. The PSL has been clinical in providing a platform for Pakistan’s youth and brewing cricketers all across the globe to come and showcase their talent. In the process, the league has transformed the cricketing landscape of the nation, spring-boarding a number of potential cricketers. In this article, we take a look at the top 5 youngsters to watch out for this PSL 2018. 1. Shadab Khan (Islamabad United) Shadab Khan. (Photo Source: Getty Images) At 18 years this Mianwali born spinner made his international debut for Pakistan. The team was looking for a wrist spinner to complete their attack and Shadab proved to be just that guy. Since March 2017 when he made his T20I debut, the leggie has played 13 T20Is, 17 ODIs and one Test for Pakistan and has 19, 24 and 1 wicket to his name respectively. He is a dynamic bowler who has the ability to outfox the batsmen and is up for any challenge thrown his way. Still underrated as a batsman, Shadab has also become Pakistan’s primary hot-spot fielder, usually occupying the spot at the backward point. The third edition of the PSL will be his third season with Islamabad United. With 42 wickets from 32 matches, Shadab is one of the hottest properties currently in the league. 2. Shaheen Shah Afridi (Lahore Qalandars) Shaheen Afridi of Pakistan. (Photo by David Rowland-IDI/IDI via Getty Images) Pakistan’s latest pace sensation, Shaheen Shah Afridi turned eyes everywhere with his impressive performance in the recently concluded U19 World Cup. The tall lanky pacer recorded his career-best six-wicket haul in the tournament against Ireland in the group stage. Afridi was first discovered by Mushtaq Ahmed, the legendary leg-spinner of Pakistan and the head coach of National Cricket Academy. The youngster caught Ahmed’s eyes during an under-16 talent hunt programme of the PCB and eventually trained him further. Known for his natural in-swinging deliveries with speeds north of 140 km/hr, Afridi will be keen to make his mark in his maiden out in the PSL. 3. Jofra Archer (Quetta Gladiators) Jofra Archer of the Hobart Hurricanes. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images) Jofra Archer, the hottest young property in T20 cricket, was bagged by Quetta Gladiators in the replacement draft, to fill in for West Indian all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite who will miss out because of the World Cup Qualifiers. The Sussex cricketer, who made a lot of headlines all through the Big Bash League (BBL), also bagged a lucrative deal with IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the upcoming edition. In the 10 matches the Barbadian has played for Hobart Hurricanes in BBL|07, he has been exemplary in every department. Archer has taken 15 wickets at an economy of 7.5 while his batting strike rate stands at 137.93. 4. Hasan Ali (Peshawar Zalmi) Hasan Ali. (Photo Source: Twitter) Pakistan’s bowling spearhead, Hasana Ali boasts of a simple bowling action with a bagful of variations up his sleeves. Coming through the ranks of club cricket he initially failed to make it to the youth squads at the national level. He earned his first break in the 2015 National T20 Cup where he picked up eight wickets in four matches under the captaincy of Shoaib Malik. Since then there has been no stopping the speedster. He even played a pivotal role in the finals of the CT 2017 to help Pakistan lift the trophy for the first time. The 5th ranked bowler in ICC ODI rankings, Hasan Ali has evolved into a deadly arsenal in the Pakistan line-up. 62 wickets in 30 matches with 3 five-wicket hauls, the statistics do not do justice to the impetus he brings on the pitch. 5. Rashid Khan (Quetta Gladiators) Adelaide Strikers’ Rashid Khan celebrates dismissing Renegades Cameron White. (Photo by Pat Scala/Getty Images) ICC Associate Cricketer of the Year winner for 2017, Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan has taken great strides ever since his foray into international cricket. Not known to be a big turner of the ball, Rashid puts batsmen under constant pressure by bowling quickly through the air, while maintaining a stump-to-stump line. His biggest weapon is a very accurate googly. An athletic fielder, Rashid can come in handy scoring quick runs at the bottom and is always an option that a skipper will be seeking to have. In just the 34 matches he has played, the associate cricketer has picked up a whopping 76 wickets at an economy rate of 3.91. He is currently the second-ranked T20 bowler in the world.

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PSL 2018: Five young players to watch out for

We take a look at the youngsters who could make it big in the upcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League.

2. Shaheen Shah Afridi (Lahore Qalandars)

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