The best XI of Pakistan Super League 2016

The first edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) ended with a nail-biting finish. Islamabad United triumphed over the much celebrated Quetta Gladiators by 6 wickets. Dwayne Smith and Brad Haddin scored half-centuries in chase of 175 set by the Gladiators after they were sent into bat by Misbah-ul-Haq. Ahmed Shehzad and Kumar Sangakkara scored brilliant 50s to put Quetta incharge but it was not their night. They did got Sharjeel Khan out earlier but it was the experienced Dwayne Smith and Brad Haddin who ensured that Islamabad cruised home safely to lift the inaugural Pakistan Super League Trophy. Keeping our tradition alive, here is what the CricTracker Team of the Tournament looks like: 1. Tamim Iqbal (Peshawar Zalmi) Matches: 6, Runs: 267, HS: 80*, Average: 66.75, 50s: 3 Bangladesh cricketer Tamim Iqbal. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images) Tamim Iqbal could be termed as the best overseas pick by any team in the inaugural Pakistan Super League. He started with two fifties in his first two matches for the Peshawar franchise. His starts with Mohammad Hafeez were monumental for Peshawar which put them in the driving seat through most part of the tournament. His best 80* came against Islamabad United during a run-chase, a knock which included 6 fours and three massive sixes. Sadly for Peshawar, he had to leave early in the tournament to participate in the training camp for Asia Cup. 2. Sharjeel Khan (Islamabad United) Matches: 11, Runs: 300, HS: 117, Average: 33.33, 50s: 1, 100s: 1 (Photo Source: Twitter) Sharjeel Khan had a forgettable PSL until the match it most mattered – the eliminator between Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United. He only had a match-winning 79*against Lahore Qalandars before this game. He started that game with the way he is known to play. Six after Six, four after four, it seemed like Peshawar’s seasoned pace attack of Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan and Shaun Tait were like one from the local clubs in UAE. He scored the first ever century of the Pakistan Super League including 12 fours and 8 towering sixes. Earlier, he had scored the first run, first four and first six of the PSL. He failed to reproduce the same in the big final but was rewarded with a place in the Asia Cup and World T20 squad for his knock. 3. Shane Watson (Islamabad United) Matches: 6, Runs: 194, HS: 79, Average: 32.33, 50: 1, Wicket: 1 Australia’s Shane Watson. (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) Shane Watson was one of the five icon players for the inaugural PSL and he knew how to re-pay that trust. Islamabad United would have liked him to contribute as an all-rounder but he didn’t bowl up to his standards. It was his batting that put Islamabad in the driving seat in most games. In a tough run-chase against Lahore Qalandars, he and Sharjeel Khan launched all their weapons against an average bowling attack. This innings of 79 was followed by a 40 against Gladiators but he too had to leave early due to an injury. 4. Umar Akmal (Lahore Qalandars) Matches: 7, Runs: 335, HS: 93, Average: 83.75, 50s: 4 Pakistan’s Umar Akmal. (Photo by MICHAEL BRADLEY/AFP/Getty Images) If Lahore Qalandars needed to qualify to the play-offs stage, it had to be for Umar Akmal. He was the only good thing that came from the Qalandars camp throughout this PSL. He missed the opening game due to an injury and was average in his first game but once he was shifted up the order, it worked wonders for him. That innings of 93 against Quetta Gladiators should be termed as the innings of the tournament. Scored at a strike rate of 230+, the innings included 8 sixes and 6 fours. He didn’t stop here and scored three consecutive half-centuries against quality attacks, all unbeaten. If only Lahore had a decent bowling lineup, we would have seen more of this talent. He finished as the Best Batsman (Highest Run-Scorer) of the season despite playing lesser matches as well as the Best Fielder of the Tournament. He also scored the fastest and second fastest of the PSL. 5. Ravi Bopara (Karachi Kings) Matches: 9, Runs: 329, HS: 71*, Wickets: 11, Strike Rate: 12.0, Best Bowling: 6/16 Ravi Bopara of England. (Photo by Marty Melville/AFP/Getty Images) Just like Lahore’s PSL revolved around Umar Akmal, Karachi’s PSL was all about Ravi Bopara. Karachi’s team was filled with super-stars with Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Amir, Lendl Simmons, Shakib Al Hasan, Sohail Tanvir, Sohail Khan and Mushfiqur Rahim but it was Bopara probably the most under-rated of the lot that stood out. He batted well and better than most despite getting chances only at 6 or lower. His performance in the game against Lahore Qalandars was one many cricketers dream off their entire lifetime. 71* with the bat and then 6/16 with the ball which snatched an easy win from the jaws of Lahore Qalandars. He finished as the 2nd highest run-scorer in the PSL and highest wicket-taker for Karachi. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament. 6. Sarfraz Ahmed (Quetta Gladiators) – Captain Matches: 10, Runs: 168, HS: 51*, Average: 28.00, 50s: 1, Dismissals: 4 (Photo Source: Twitter) Sarfraz Ahmed was the best captain throughout the PSL. He led a team which many ruled out even before the tournament started. He pinned hope in the already down people of Baluchistan. His team played the best cricket throughout the tournament but the final was not his day. His batting may not have been the most impressive in the tournament but it was his captaincy that did wonders for Quetta. Just a one fifty and only 168 runs in the 10 games but he won seven of those matches as captain. If hardwork and teamwork were to define the winner of PSL, then surely Quetta Gladiators were the rightful winners. 7. Mohammad Nawaz (Quetta Gladiators) Matches: 10, Runs: 120, HS: 42, Wickets: 13, Strike Rate: 16.4, Best Bowling: 4/13 (Photo Source: Twitter) Emerging player of the tournament, Mohammad Nawaz was an unknown quantity before this tournament. Quetta Gladiators picked him from the Emerging category and he proved his worth to everyone and made sure the crowd remembers his name for a long time. Man of the Match in his first two games, Nawaz scored 120 runs from down the order and took 13 important wickets. He was adjudged the ‘Emerging Player of the Tournament’ by many cricket pundits and fans. His best with the ball came in the opening game when he took 4/13 against the finalist Islamabad. 8. Grant Elliot (Quetta Gladiators) Matches: 6, Runs: 65, HS: 40, Wickets: 11, Strike Rate: 12.0, Best Bowling: 4/15 New Zealand cricketer Grant Elliott. (Photo by INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images) Grant Elliot joined the Quetta franchise late as a replacement to Thisara Perera but this didn’t stop him to feature in our XI. 11 wickets in only 6 matches including seven in the first two games, it seemed like Quetta has struck gold with their pick. He made a world record last wicket partnership of 63 runs with Zulfiqar Babar that gave a respectable total to his side against Peshawar Zalmi. His slow off-cutters were like snakes for the batsmen who seemed to forget how to deal with him. 9. Imran Khalid (Islamabad United) Matches: 9, Wickets: 9, Strike Rate: 19.8, Best Bowling: 4/20 (Photo Source: PCB) Probably the most under-rated bowler of the tournament, Imran Khalid did well enough to keep the magician Saeed Ajmal out of the Islamabad team. He may not have been richer in the wickets column but his economy rate was only third to Grant Elliot and Mohammad Sami in the tournament. Whenever Misbah wanted to stop the flow of runs, he tossed the ball to Imran Khalid who responded positively everytime. His best figures came in the elimination match against Peshawar Zalmi where he took 4/20 and ensured that Islamabad qualified to the final after a Sharjeel Khan century. 10. Wahab Riaz (Peshawar Zalmi) Matches: 9, Wickets: 15, Strike Rate: 13.7, Best Bowling: 3/17 (Photo Source: Twitter) Wahab Riaz is not the same bowler he was before the World Cup in 2015. Ever since that dream spell against Shane Watson in the WC, Wahab has matured and grown as a bowler. He has gained control over his line and length and his fitness has been exemplary. With 15 wickets in the PSL, he finished as the second highest wicket-taker of the tournament. He gave his best in the first play-off against Quetta, first 3/17 with the ball and then a brave 22 with the bat to rescue his team from a certain defeat but he failed. 11. Mohammad Sami (Islamabad United) Matches: 7, Wickets: 12, Strike Rate: 12.33, Best Bowling: 5/8 Mohammad Sami of Islamabad United. (Photo by STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images) Never have people seen Mohammad Sami better like he bowled in the PSL. His pace was up, his balls were accurate and he meant business. His excellent performance was rewarded with a place back to the national side for the Asia Cup and World T20. Despite being a fast bowler in a hard-hitting format and shorter boundaries, his economy was the most miserly of all the bowlers in the PSL. His dot ball percentage was also the best in the PSL. His best came when he took his career’s second T20 fifer against the Kings in a deciding match. Near Misses and Special Mentions: 1. Andre Russell (Islamabad United) – 16 wickets, most in the PSL. 2. Azhar Ali (Lahore Qalandars) – 182 runs, most by a captain. 3. Mohammad Asghar (Peshawar Zalmi) – 11 wickets, another emerging spinner.

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The best XI of Pakistan Super League 2016

11. Mohammad Sami (Islamabad United)

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