Dubai: Hard-hitting Australian batsman Chris Lynn and West Indian star all-rounder Dwayne Bravo were the top picks in the Players’ Draft for the third edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), to be held in the UAE and in some of the venues in Pakistan next year. The draft was held in Lahore on Sunday.
The Lahore franchise snapped up Lynn, considered one of the most destructive opening batsman. while all-rounder Bravo got picked by Peshawar Zalmi.
Multan Sultans, which has become the latest entrant and the sixth franchise of the league, picked Imran Tahir as their spinner.
They had already snapped up in-form and veteran player Shoaib Malek, Kieron Pollard and Kumar Sangakkara as a part of the pre-draft last month.
In the Patinum round picks, Islamabad United got JP Duminy while Karachi Kings went for Colin Ingram. Quetta Gladiators picked veteran all-rounder Shane Watson.
Though New Zealand wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi had retired from international cricket, Islamabad United went for him in the Diamond round. Through the Diamond round, Lahore has strengthened their bowling attack by getting Mustafizur Rahman.
Karachi Kings too strengthened their pace attack by picking former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson.
Quetta Gladiators got West Indies hard-hitter Carlos Brathwaite. Peshawar Zalmi looks solid with Tamim Iqbal at the top. Multan Sultan went for Darren Bravo.
Karachi has got Luke Wright in the Gold round. Wright had played for Quetta Gladiators in the first two seasons. Most of the teams in the Gold round.went for Pakistan’s inform players.
Lahore picked all-rounder Bilal Asif, while opener Ahmad Shehzad, despite being ignored in the first two rounds, got picked by Multan Sultans.
Supplementary rounds pick were also held and they are those players who the franchises can call upon for those not be available for the entire season; which could come into the picture if some of the players refuse to travel to Pakistan.
Multan’s supplementary players are Hardus Viljoen, Umar Gul, Umar Siddiq, Ross Whiteley. Peshawar’s players are Andre Fletcher, Evin Lewis, Khalid Usman and Mohammad Arif. Karachi’s players will be Colin Munro, Eoin Morgan, Saifullah Bangash, Lahore got Angelo Mathews, Mitchell McClenaghan and Gulraiz Sadaf. Islamabad will have Alex Hales, David Willey, Mohammad Hasan, Mohammad Hasnain and Quetta will have Jason Roy, Rashid Khan, Azam Khan, Faraz Ahmed Khan.
