The sixth edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL) is about to start on
February 20 in which many well-known and prominent players are participating.

Apart from the well-known international players, there are some local
players in the sixth edition of the PSL who can play an important role in
helping their team win the title and cricket fans will be the center of
attention at the event.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has compiled a list of six local players who
could make a significant difference in the league.

Babar Azam Karachi Kings:

Former England captain and prominent commentator Nasir Hussain had said
on one occasion last year that when he looks at Babar Azam, it seems as if he
is batting on a completely different pitch from other batsmen.

Cricket fans could not see him in action in the series against New
Zealand due to a broken thumb, but he has now recovered from the injury and
will continue to entertain fans in the Pakistan Super League after the series
against South Africa.

In all three formats, Pakistan captain Babar Azam’s fame is due to the
timing of his strokes and charming drives.

Just as the Pakistani team has always wanted a long innings from Babar
Azam, so too the Karachi Kings will be hoping for an excellent batting from
Babar Azam in franchise cricket.

Babar Azam represented the league champion Karachi Kings in all the
tournaments except the initial edition of the league.

Babar Azam scored 473 runs in 12 matches of the event last year with an
average of 59.12 and a strike rate of 124 and so far he is the most successful
batsman in the history of the league after Kamran Akmal and has scored 1,516
runs in 47 matches.

Haider Ali Peshawar Zalmai:

Haider Ali, a young cricketer who has emerged on the cricketing horizon
thanks to his excellent performance in the Pakistan U-19 team, scored 239 runs
in a total of 10 league matches last year.

The young batsman had scored runs at an average of 26.55 and a strike
rate of 157.23 in the 2020 edition of the league, after which he was included
in the national cricket team for the tour of England.

Debuting in the third T20 match against England, he made a memorable
start to international cricket by playing an aggressive innings of 54 off 33
balls.

Haider Ali has the ability to play lightning fast innings, Haider Ali’s
next ball will be the center of attention of the fans in this edition due to
his strong strokes.

Haider Ali had recently started the innings representing Pakistan
against South Africa, so Peshawar Zalmi can make Haider Ali a part of the final
XI as an opener if he wants.

Hassan Ali Islamabad United:

Hassan Ali is truly a product of the Pakistan Super League. He was
first included in the league by Peshawar Zalmi in the inaugural edition of the
league in 2016 as an emerging player.

Hassan Ali took 12 wickets in 11 matches in the second year of the
league. Within a year, Hassan Ali rose to prominence and won the ICC Player of
the Year award for his outstanding performance in the ICC Champions Trophy.

Later, Hassan Ali’s performance fluctuated and due to back injury,
Hassan Ali was away from cricket for some time.

Hassan Ali, popularly known as Fighter among his teammates, refuted the
fears of the critics, made a great comeback after injuries and performed
brilliantly in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy this year and led his team to the title
of champion.

Due to this excellent performance, he was included in Pakistan’s Test
and T20 squad against South Africa and this decision also proved to be
absolutely correct.

Hassan Ali also excelled in the Test and T20 squads against South
Africa and was Pakistan’s most prominent cricketer in the fast bowler series
after wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan.

This will be the first year that Hassan Ali will be part of Islamabad
United and the two-time champions Islamabad United have high expectations of
him due to his excellent form.

Mohammad Rizwan Multan Sultans:

Mohammad Rizwan is currently in the best form of his cricket career and
has been scoring runs in all formats of the game.

Prior to this edition, Mohammad Rizwan was not considered a
limited-overs cricketer, but he refuted this notion first in the National T20
Cup 21-2020 and then in the home series against New Zealand and South Africa.

Mohammad Rizwan not only emerged as Pakistan’s best player in New
Zealand thanks to his wicket-keeping and batting, but also won the Test and
T20I Player of the Series award in the series against South Africa.

For the entire season last year, the Karachi Kings did not give him a
chance to show his abilities and kept him on the bench and this year the Multan
Sultans have hired him.

This time not only Multan Sultans have included him in their squad but
also handed over the leadership of the team to him and this is a telling proof
that Sultans have a lot of expectations from the wicket keeper batsman.

Cricket fans are looking forward to seeing Muhammad Rizwan’s batting
and wicket-keeping as well as his leadership skills this season.

Shaheen Shah Afridi Lahore Qalandars:

Targeting a bouncer or a good length, Shaheen Shah Afridi’s unique
ability sets him apart from other fast bowlers.

The young fast bowler from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa not only looks unique in
the Pakistan cricket team’s pace battery but he has also performed brilliantly
for the Lahore Qalandars many times.

Thanks to his excellent bowling in franchise cricket, the Lahore
Qalandars have appointed Shaheen Shah Afridi as their vice-captain for the 2021
edition and he took the most 17 wickets in the event last year.

Along with Ben Dunk’s brilliant offensive batting last season, Shaheen
Shah Afridi’s excellent bowling also played an important role in taking the
Lahore Qalandars to the final of the event.

Shaheen Shah Afridi has also shown his full potential at the international
level and while representing Pakistan in the World Cup 2019, he took 16
wickets.

Azam Khan Quetta Gladiators:

Middle-order batsman Azam Khan, who represents Quetta Gladiators, also
has the potential to perform well in the Pakistan Super League 2021.

As a batsman, the young cricketer is in tune with the requirements of
T20 cricket and has the ability to hit high and high sixes. As a wicket-keeper,
he also has the additional ability to handle responsibilities behind the
wickets.

Azam Khan is on the selectors’ radar because of his power-hitting
ability, but to make a place in the national cricket team, he will have to
improve his fitness as well as show excellent batting form in the PSL.

Two years ago, when Quetta Gladiators owner Nadeem Umar announced that
Azam Khan could become Pakistan’s Chris Gayle, few took the statement
seriously, but now those who have seen Azam Khan’s batting prowess, They also
believe in it.

Azam Khan played only one match in PSL 2019 and scored 12 runs, but the
2020 edition played an important role in unleashing his talents.

He had played an electrifying inning of 59 off 33 balls in a match against Islamabad United in the last edition of the league and scored a total of 150 runs in the fifth edition.