Pakistan Super League (PSL)

                                                   PAKISTAN SUPER LEAGUE

The Pakistan Superleague is the men's national cricket league that was established in 2008 by an association of 12 teams consisting of players from around the world. It consists of three divisions and two semi-finals in a total of 18 teams. Along with this, other minor international tournaments get organized through the organization; such as National Elite Cup and Premier Division. This tournament began in 2009 in Australia and went on to be played in South Africa and Zimbabwe for quite a while. Currently, it hosts 19 nations across different time zones which include Asia, United Arab Emirates, Europe, and North America.

The Pakistan Super League has grown into one of the most prestigious events in the world since its inception. Over the years, many superstars have been exposed to the game and have been rewarded with great exposure. Below are some notable players who have represented the country in various tournaments.

Bashar Alama

The first Pakistani cricketer in history to win both the ICC T20 World Cup and ICC Champions Trophy, he held his maiden global franchise for the PSL
. He was named captain of the team and led in several matches during the early stages. During the 2007 edition of the tournament, Alama became the only player to post 50 hundred runs in the whole tournament while scoring 45 in the 2nd match of a tough last against India. . In 2012, Alama made another appearance in the Pakistan Super League when he scored 43 in a defeat of England at home in a rematch of 2011 final. In 2013 he led the tournament from start till finish and made 53 in the second match of the series against New Zealand. However, he failed to pick up his third consecutive T20 Internationals after being dismissed in their last encounter.

Zafar Gohar

Zafar Gohar is currently Pakistan’s all-time leading batsman while leading Punjab batsmen for the past five seasons. Despite playing in different formats, Zafar remains the leading batsman in the country. His career with the squad has been extremely profitable and culminated with him taking 25 wickets for Pakistan in 27 innings during the 2019 campaign. Under the guidance of Babar Azam, he took over 300 wickets in his first season and remained consistent during the next five as well.

He retired in 2018 following the birth of his daughter Farooq and later left the white-ball format abruptly owing to an injury. He has now returned to play competitively in domestic cricket for Pak cricket.

Nasir Nawaz

Nasir Nawaz has developed into one of the most dangerous batters in the region because of his ability to bowl on even occasions when the fielders do not seem to be much prepared. Like many batsmen, Nawaz is capable of playing anywhere with more than 40 deliveries per day. As a result, he takes the lead in overs taken while bowling in the Pakistan Super league during the early stages of its inception. After making 11 in the group stage of the inaugural year, Nawaz became just the fourth player to take a milestone victory in the event. During the 2021 edition of the tournament, he managed to take 7 in 10 and continued his remarkable form while playing overseas. Even though he missed out on the final of the competition due to injury, he remains part of Pakistan's squad for at least the rest of the upcoming tournaments.

Faheem Ashraf

Faheem Ashraf (FAS) has always been a very deadly bowler when he gets the chance to bat. FAS was part of the initial batch of limited-overs Pakistan batting line-up which included Sohail Khan, Haider Ali, Imran Butt, and Sohail Tanvir. FAS then formed a partnership with Faheem who combined with Mohammad Hasnain while fighting rival captains Wahab Riaz and Naseem Shah. FAS had claimed four WOTW titles while he won 3. The duo was known for having excellent skills on the field and also for their aggressive nature. Their good relationship has been the backbone of Punjab cricket. Since 2014, the two have worked together and the end of the long wait for another title at the WOTW seems inevitable.

Haider Ali

Haider Ali is known for being fearless and is a definite threat in any ball format. Haider is also part of the senior Pakistan fast bowling fraternity. During the past few decades, he has been a reliable wicket-taker but more importantly, he possesses what is arguably the greatest weapon of short ball bowling; the yorker which is used to remove opposition batsmen. While he did not make a single national side, he never gave away half his wicket-taking capacity to the opponents and was a vital element in Pak cricket's success.

Haider has also served as Pakistan's coach on three different occasions. He has been an assistant coach for two years while serving as Pakistan coach for the final six months of 2014 and 2017. With every job, he has been involved in some sort of planning for the upcoming tournaments.

Faheem Asif

Faheem Asif is perhaps the finest potential captain in Pakistan cricket. Aged 24, he has already accumulated a wealth of experience in the sport. Most importantly, he has built a strong reputation with the national team. In seven years, Faheem has become the highest run-scorer in terms of batsmanship in Pakistan since 2003. During these years, he has scored 14 centuries with nine hundred and five fifties. In his prime, Faheem was an unstoppable force showed no sign of slowing down, and is arguably the best potential captain since his retirement.

Faheem left Pakistan cricket after becoming embroiled in allegations of money laundering. However, the story is more interesting when you see his involvement in the coaching department of the Pakistan women’s cricket team in 2014. While his career has not exactly gone according to plan, he always believed that if he could change the conditions within the Pakistan team, then everything else would surely follow suit.

Faheem has far to go before he can be thought of as "the future skipper". However, his talent and willingness to step up to the plate make him an ideal candidate for the 2023 World Cup. If he becomes the choice of selectors, then there is no looking back.