The Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2022 is set to begin in less than two months where the fans will witness their favorite stars battling it out for the ultimate supremacy. Every year, people wait for teams to play on the field, but the real action begins months ahead when the management pick their contingents for the upcoming edition. This year, the draft ceremony for the PSL’s seventh edition took place in Lahore on December 12 where franchises completed their roster. We are bringing you a detailed performance report of how each franchise did on the day which is likely to matter the most.
Islamabad United
Grade: A+
Islamabad United are the most successful franchise in the history of the competition, being the only team to win the title twice.
They are famous for their approach based on data and not emotions. This year’s draft was another example of how they made sure that their will emerge as an even stronger unit.
Arrivals:
Islamabad United’s marquee signing this season will be the arrival of highly-rated Azam Khan, who is likely to replace Rohail Nazir in the wicketkeeping department.
The right-hander is famous for his hitting, especially against the spinners, which will make United’s already strong-looking batting lineup even more dangerous.
Khan has already played 62 T20Is in his career where he has managed to score 1,153 runs at an average of 21.35 along with an impressive strike-rate of 144.84, which included five half-centuries.
Another big signing for the franchise is the arrival of all-rounder Danish Aziz. The Karachi-born has a reputation as a big finisher in white-ball cricket, even though he has lost his touch a bit in the last 12 months. It seems like he is a direct replacement of Hussain Talat who has been released from the contingent.
He has already played 38 T20s in his short career where he has managed to score 605 runs at an average of 28.80 along with the strike-rate of 131.23 whereas he has also claimed 16 wickets with the ball in hand.
The selection of young all-rounder Mubasir Khan and pacer Athar Mahmood is another example of why United have stayed successful in the PSL because they draft the players with potential and give them the freedom to succeed at the highest level.
Departures:
In terms of players going out, United have been extremely bold as they let go some of the members from the core group including the likes of Hussain Talat, Musa Khan, Akif Javed, Umar Amin and Rohail Nazir.
Out of all the above mentioned, Talat remains the most high-profile player to exit from the squad and his exclusion was a bit surprising considering that he has played a key role in the team’s success over the years.
However, his form has gradually dipped since 2018 PSL where he has only managed to score 351 runs in 20 innings at an average of just 18.47 along with a rather poor strike-rate of 109.34, which included no score of 50 or more.
All-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed, who was very impressive for the franchise in the 2020-21 edition scoring 221 runs at an average of 36.83 along with the strike-rate of 123.46, has also been let go while drafting for this year’s PSL.
| In | Out |
| Azam Khan | Hussain Talat |
| Ather Mehmood | Iftikhar Ahmed |
| Mubasir Khan | Usman Khawaja |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Rohail Nazir |
| Marchant de Lange | Musa Khan |
| Danish Aziz | Zeeshan Zameer |
| Fawad Ahmed | |
| Akif Javed | |
| Ahmed Saifi Abdullah | |
| Ali Khan | |
| Brandon King | |
| Umar Amin | |
| Lewis Gregory | |
| Chris Jordan | |
| Janneman Malan | |
| Phil Salt |
Karachi Kings
Grade: C+
Karachi Kings was the most expensive franchise when the teams were purchased before the first edition of the PSL. However, the team have not been that impressive on the field other than the title-winning campaign in 2020.
Arrivals:
Karachi Kings remain focused on signing big-name players over the years and that has not changed this time around as well.
The franchise’s most high-profile signing is of pacer Chris Jordan but his participation is always questionable because he has been an integral part of England’s white-ball squad and they usually have tours lined up in January or February.
Another interesting pick was wicketkeeper-batter Rohail Nazir who was released by Islamabad United. The 20-year-old is highly rated in the cricketing circles in the country but is yet to deliver at the big stage.
He has till now played 46 T20s in his career where he has managed to score 505 runs at an average of 18.03 along with the strike-rate of 121.98, which included a solitary half-century.
Considering that the Kings does not have a great record when it comes to wicketkeepers as they did not utilise Mohammad Rizwan when he was part of the franchise, it will be interesting to see how they will use former Pakistan A captain.
On the positive side, batting all-rounder Tom Abell has all the potential to become a really good signing for the franchise. He averages 33.84 along with an impressive strike-rate of 143.84 in the 20-over format.
Alongside him, the likes of Umaid Asif and Lewis Gregory could help in bringing the much-needed balance in the squad whereas left-arm pacer Mohammad Imran and young left-arm wrist-spinner Faisal Akram might excite the fans as both can claim timely breakthroughs.
Departures:
For the 2022 edition of the PSL, Karachi Kings let go of some very notable players. Left-handed batter Colin Ingram was not retained despite having scored 819 runs in the history of the competition, the fifth-highest by any foreign batter.
Other than him, pacers Arshad Iqbal and Waqas Maqsood, who played a key role in the team’s title-winning campaign in 2020, could not stay part of the contingent as well.
Highly-rated all-rounder Danish Aziz, who is from Karachi, was also let go whereas young wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris was not retained and instead he was replaced by Rohail Nazir, whom he replaced in the Pakistan Shaheen’s squad for the Sri Lanka tour recently.
| In | Out |
| Chris Jordan | Abbas Afridi |
| Lewis Gregory | Arshad Iqbal |
| Umaid Asif | Chadwick Walton |
| Tom Abell | Danish Aziz |
| Rohail Nazir | Martin Guptill |
| Muhammad Imran | Mohammad Haris Khan |
| Faisal Akram | Thisara Perera |
| Talha Ahsan | Najeebullah Zadran |
| Romario Shepherd | Noor Ahmed |
| Waqas Maqsood | |
| Zeeshan Malik | |
| Dan Christian | |
| Colin Ingram | |
| Liton Das |
Lahore Qalandars
Grade: B+
Lahore Qalandars are one of the most followed franchises in the PSL, not because they are extremely consistent, rather because they are anything but.
The 2021 edition was a prime example of how you will never be disappointed in following Qalandars because apart from everything else, entertainment is a must.
Arrivals:
Lahore Qalandars make some interesting signings for the 2022 edition of the PSL. One signing which will make a lot of people excited is of young right-handed batter Abdullah Shafique.
The 22-year-old has been rated as the next big thing in Pakistan cricket and recently, he showcased glimpses of his talent by scoring heavily in the National T20 Cup and later on the tour of Bangladesh where he was a part of the Test squad.
He has already played 20 T20s in his short career where he has managed to score 658 runs at an average of 38.70 along with the strike-rate of 131.07, which included a century and four fifties.
Other than him, young Harry Brook might prove to be an excellent acquisition as he averages 38.50 in T20s after 44 matches with the strike-rate of 147.72, which included four fifties.
Young pacer Zaman Khan, who emerged onto the scene in the first edition of the Kashmir Premier League (KPL), has also been drafted but it seems that he is a like-to-like replacement of Salman Irshad, who was released before the draft.
Another interesting pick is of middle-order batter Kamran Ghulam, who earned the name for himself after finishing the 2020-21 season of the Quaid-e-Azam with the highest runs in a single season by any batter in the history of First-Class cricket in Pakistan.
Even though he has recently scored a century in the National T20 Cup while playing for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, his average is still less than 30 and his strike-rate is 133.33 in 18 innings, which included just a solitary score of 50 or more.
Departures:
Despite making some serious signings, Lahore Qalandars let go a lot of big names which might leave people scratching their heads.
Wicketkeeper-batter Ben Dunk, who played a significant role in the franchise’s remarkable run in the 2020 campaign, was not picked in the draft.
Similarly, last season’s sensation Tim David was also let go despite scoring 180 runs in just six innings at an outstanding average of 45 along with the strike-rate of 166.66, which included one half-century.
Young all-rounder Salman Ali Agha remain also unpicked despite excellent form with the bat in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy where he has scored 449 runs in eight innings at an average of 56.12, which included two centuries and two fifties.
| In | Out |
| Phil Salt | Ben Dunk |
| Harry Brook | Callum Ferguson |
| Abdullah Shafique | Dilbar Hussain |
| Kamran Ghulam | James Faulkner |
| Dean Foxcroft | Mohammad Faizan |
| Zaman Khan | Salman Ali Agha |
| Syed Faridoun | Seekuge Prasanna |
| Sultan Ahmed | |
| Tim David | |
| Zaid Alam | |
| Muhammad Zaid | |
| Tom Abell | |
| Joe Burns | |
| Joe Denly | |
| Salman Mirza | |
| Shakib Al Hasan |
Multan Sultans
Grade: C+
Multan Sultans came out on top in the PSL 2021 against all expectations as to when the Pakistan-leg halted because of the coronavirus outbreak, they were out of the top-four and just won one out of the first five matches.
However, a drastic turn of events started the journey not many expected as Mohammad Rizwan-led unit secured their first title.
Arrivals:
In the drafts for PSL 2022, Multan Sultans made some very interesting picks and it is not clear whether the new inclusions will make the squad stronger than it was in the previous campaign.
The franchise’s most high-profile pick for the next edition was hard-hitting Tim David who impressed everyone in the previous campaign while playing for Lahore Qalandars.
The selection of left-arm pacer Rumman Raees left a lot of people wondering about the franchise’s direction.
The 30-year-old was a seasoned campaigner for Islamabad United but suffered a major injury that kept him out of the game for a long time.
Even though he has managed to return to professional cricket in 2021-22, his pace has considerably dropped compared to how it was before which makes him less effective going forward.
Another surprising pick is of all-rounder Anwar Ali. The 34-year-old was released by Quetta Gladiators, largely because his performances over the years witnessed a significant drop.
Ali has given away runs at an economy-rate of 8.74 with just 23 wickets over the last six seasons for Gladiators but in the last two seasons, he gave runs at an economy-rate of nearly 12 runs per over which was simply not good enough.
Similarly, Abbas Afridi’s selection is another perplexing one. The right-arm pacer just played four matches for Karachi Kings in the 2020-21 campaign and claimed four wickets but gave away runs at an economy-rate of just 10.20.
Departures:
Just like their arrivals, Multan Sultans’ departures list does not make a pretty reading as well.
Seasoned campaigners like Sohail Tanvir, Sohail Khan, James Vince and Shimron Hetmyer were a few of the big names who were not picked by the franchise for the next edition.
Experienced all-rounder Shahid Afridi and Hammad Azam were probably the only two players who were not picked based on their performances.
The most surprising exclusion was of leg-spinner Usman Qadir and all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite.
| In | Out |
| Tim David | Hammad Azam |
| Odean Smith | Johnson Charles |
| Rumman Raees | Mohammad Umar |
| Anwar Ali | Rahmanullah Gurbaz |
| Rovman Powell | Obed McCoy |
| Abbas Afridi | Shimron Hetmyer |
| Amir Azmat | Sohaibullah |
| Ihsanullah | Sohail Khan |
| Sohail Tanvir | |
| Usman Qadir | |
| Muhammad Waseem | |
| Chris Lynn | |
| Carlos Brathwaite | |
| James Vince | |
| Shahid Afridi | |
| Mahmudullah | |
| Adam Lyth | |
| George Linde |
Peshawar Zalmi
Grade: A-
Peshawar Zalmi are one of the most consistent franchises in the history of PSL, having played the most finals (4) by any team.
Last year, they were the runners up after coming short in a tense final against Multan Sultans.
Arrivals:
Peshawar Zalmi probably had the second-best draft after Islamabad United which is why they received Grade A-.
Like every year, they not only have their foreign players’ roster looking solid but this time, they’ve put a lot of focus on strengthening the pool of local players.
Their marquee signing is of leg-spinner Usman Qadir. The franchise struggled in the previous campaign in the spin department and the inclusion of the 28-year-old addresses that shortcoming.
Qadir is a proven talent in the short-format of the game where he has 65 wickets to his name in 61 matches at an average of 23.80 along with an impressive economy-rate of just 7.44.
The signing of wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris seems to be a step in the right direction as he can be the solution behind the stumps to take over the reins from veteran Kamran Akmal. He has played just nine T20s in his short career and scored 121 runs at an average of 20.16 along with the strike-rate of 104.31.
In the previous edition, there seem to be an overreliance on captain Wahab Riaz and Saqib Mahmood in the pace department and to cater for that, the franchise have signed Salman Irshad and Arshad Iqbal, both of whom are genuine wicket-takers.
The selection of Hussain Talat will ease the pressure on Shoaib Malik who is currently the only player who can play the sheet anchor role in the team.
Departures:
Just like their arrivals, Peshawar Zalmi’s departure list made a lot of sense as well. The exclusion of the likes of Mohammad Irfan, Imran Randhawa, Imam-ul-Haq, Waqar Salamkheil, Fidel Edwards and Mujeeb Ur Rahman would serve well for the franchise as those players found wanting on more than one occasion.
However, some of the franchise decisions were rather surprising, to say the least. The departure of all-rounder Amad Butt and pacer Umaid Asif was unexpected as both of them had a pretty decent time in the previous campaign.
Other than them, the likes of wicketkeeper-batter Bismillah Khan and all-rounder Khalid Usman were also well-equipped to play a key part in the competition which is scheduled to be organised in Karachi and Lahore.
| In | Out |
| Ben Cutting | Fabian Allen |
| Hussain Talat | Amad Butt |
| Usman Qadir | Bismillah Khan |
| Salman Irshad | Fidel Edwards |
| Arshad Iqbal | Imam-ul-Haq |
| Sirajuddin | Khalid Usman |
| Mohammad Haris | David Miller |
| Imran Randhawa | |
| Mohammad Imran | |
| Mohammad Irfan | |
| Rovman Powell | |
| Umaid Asif | |
| Waqar Salamkheil | |
| Ravi Bopara | |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman |
Quetta Gladiators
Grade: C-
Quetta Gladiators was once one of the most successful franchises in the competition’s history but their magic has faded away in the last two campaigns where on both occasions, they failed to secure a spot in the playoffs.
Arrivals:
This year, Quetta Gladiators’ drafting of players left a lot to wonder for their fans. Their marquee signing is of hard-hitting opener Jason Roy. His quality is without question but it is unclear how many matches he will be available for.
James Vince’s inclusion makes a lot of sense and he might prove to be an excellent acquisition for the franchise, especially after his heroics for Multan Sultans over the years where he scored 560 runs at an average of 32.94 along with an impressive strike-rate of 146.98, which included three fifties.
All-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed might prove to be another excellent signing, largely because of his experience of playing T20 cricket in Pakistan. He has already played 145 matches in the 20-over format where he has managed to score 2,887 runs at an average of 30.07.
Abdul Wahid Bangalzai’s arrival is a welcome sign as not only he is very talented and has a bright future ahead of him but he is originally from Quetta as well.
However, some of their signings do not make much sense. The inclusion of Sohail Tanvir is an interesting one. The left-arm medium-pacer has an outstanding record in T20 cricket but he looked completely out of sorts while playing for Multan Sultans in the 2020 edition when it was taking place in Pakistan. However, his bowling transformed completely as soon as the tournament shifted to the United Arab Emirates where the pitches were slower.
Similarly, James Faulkner is a very similar kind of bowler to that of Tanvir and his inclusion in the same squad in similar conditions does not make too much sense either.
All-rounder Shahid Afridi’s arrival also seems to be a perplexing one considering that he has passed his prime, is dealing with fitness issues and is a liability on the field as well.
Middle-order batter Umar Akmal’s signing is another intriguing one considering that he has just returned to playing professional cricket after a lengthy ban for failing to report a match-fixing approach.
Departures:
Just like their arrivals, Quetta Gladiators have made a mess of their departures as well. Explosive wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan is perhaps the most high-profile exit from the contingent.
All-rounder Hassan Khan remained unpicked despite producing several decent performances over the years.
Leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood is perhaps amongst the best spin options in the country but he was also excluded which would impact the spin department. Other than him, likes of Ben Cutting, Tom Banton and Qais Ahmad were also excluded.
| In | Out |
| James Vince | Arish Ali Khan |
| Iftikhar Ahmed | Cameron Delport |
| Shahid Afridi | Azam Khan |
| Jason Roy | Faf du Plessis |
| James Faulkner | Hassan Khan |
| Umar Akmal | Saim Ayub |
| Sohail Tanvir | Usman Khan |
| Ben Duckett | Usman Shinwari |
| Naveen-ul-Haq | Jake Weatherald |
| Abdul Wahid Bangalzai | Jack Wildermuth |
| Muhammad Ashar Qureshi | Zahid Mahmood |
| Noor Ahmad | Zahir Khan |
| Zahoor Khan | |
| Anwar Ali | |
| Tom Banton | |
| Ben Cutting | |
| Chris Gayle | |
| Qais Ahmad | |
| Andre Russell | |
| Dale Steyn |
