Kolkata: The Pakistan Super League has, in it’s brief journey, acted as the breeding ground of a number of proven performers in the international arena for them like Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali or Shadab Khan. The remaining part of PSL VI, to be staged in Abu Dhabi most probably from June 6-7, are expected to throw up another crop of them in the upcoming edition.
Lahore Qalandars’ right arm fast bowler Ahmed Danyal, Peshawar Zalmi’s left arm seamer Mohammad Imran, Quetta Gladiator’s southpaw Saim Ayub, Multan Sultans’ left-armer Sohaibullah and Islamabad United’s Under-19 fast bowler Zeeshan Zameer are the ones - along with the country’s internationals and impressive array of overseas stars - are the ones to look out for for.
Joining this talented bunch is Mohammad Haris, a naturally gifted allrounder who can also keep wickets from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who had been a part of the Pakistan squad for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup last year and has been roped in by defending champions Karachi Kings.
Danyal, who played for Qalandars in a T20 tournament in the UAE capital prior to the start of the HBL PSL 6, represented Qalandars in four matches in the first leg of the season in Karachi, during which he trapped Kings’ Colin Ingram for a first ball duck.
“During the Karachi leg, I wanted to show my potential to Pakistan cricket fans and justify my selection. During the last month or so, I have worked hard on various aspects of my game. For the Abu Dhabi leg, my aim is to continue my progress and deliver the role assigned to me. We had a good run in Karachi and if we continue in the same manner, we can surely make history and lift the trophy for the first time,” Danyal told PCB website.
Mohammad Imran, who would be the next in line in Pakistan’s pipeline of fast bowling talent, said: “I really enjoyed the Karachi leg in my debut season, especially since I was given a big responsibility of bowling at various stages of the 20 overs by the team management. My aim was to keep things simple and make runs scoring tough for the batters.
Big challenge
“The Abu Dhabi leg would be another big challenge but I am very keen on continuing my progress and learn more about bowling in the format and make significant contributions for my team. I have felt very welcomed in the Zalmi camp and it has been a phenomenal experience for me so far which I want to make even more memorable in the upcoming games.”
Haris, a big fan of Jos Buttler, said: “I am absolutely thrilled to join the defending champions. Karachi Kings is a big franchise with some of the biggest names in the game and to rub shoulders with them will be nothing short of a dream coming true for me.
“If given an opportunity, I would aim to play my natural game and back my skills that helped me at the U-19 level and for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the last domestic season. I have worked really hard on my batting, wicketkeeping and overall fitness in recent months and I hope that I make all of that count when I take the field for my team in Abu Dhabi.”
The teams, who were scheduled to fly into Abu Dhabi in charter flights on Wednesday, will now do so on Thursday. They will be heading into quarantine period of a week before the action gets under way. A revised fixture will be released over next couple of days.
