The sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is only a month away, and the biggest names in the sport will be gathering in Karachi to participate.
PSL has had a history of providing cricket fans with iconic moments and classic matches over the years. With the likes of Universe Boss, Chris Gayle, number one T20I bowler in the world, Rashid Khan, and the legendary South African pacer, Dale Steyn, set to entertain the fans, PSL 2021 promises to be bigger and better than ever.
For the first time since the inception of PSL, the entire tournament was held in Pakistan last year. Although the league was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was still a huge success, with many international superstars coming to the country for the first time.
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PSL 5 hosted some of the biggest international stars from around the globe, but unfortunately, some of them would not be a part of PSL 2021 due to international commitments. Let us look at the players who were part of last year’s tournament, but would not feature in PSL 2021.
1. Moeen Ali
Moeen Ali was drafted by Multan Sultans last year and was one of the biggest names to feature in PSL 5. However, Moeen could not live up to his usual standards. His performances were average in an otherwise exceptional Multan team.
He could not participate in the playoffs last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He would not be taking part this year either as he went unsold in the draft, mainly due to his international commitments with England as they will tour India during the tournament.
2. Shane Watson
Watson was a mainstay of the Pakistan Super League, having participated in every tournament since its inception. He has won two PSL titles, one with Islamabad United and the other with Quetta Gladiators.
He has been one of the best performers in PSL history. He is currently the third-highest scorer in the tournament’s history, scoring 1,361 runs at an average of 32.40 and a strike rate of 138.59. Quetta will miss the services of Shane Watson after he announced his retirement from all forms of cricket after the conclusion of PSL 5.
3. Faf Du Plessis
Former South African captain created a buzz when he announced his decision to take part in PSL 5. Faf du Plessis was brought in by Peshawar Zalmi as a replacement for one of the overseas players, as PSL resumed after a lengthy break due to the pandemic.
However, du Plessis only played one match, scoring 31 as Peshawar lost to Lahore Qalandars in the first eliminator. du Plessis would not be part of PSL 6 as he is busy with the South African national team.
4. Jason Roy
English opener, Jason Roy, has not lived up to his expectations in his two seasons in PSL. He has represented Lahore Qalandars and Quetta Gladiators but failed to make his mark as both Qalandars and Quetta failed to reach the playoffs on both occasions.
He has scored 459 runs at an average of 35.30 and a strike rate of 128.93 in 15 matches. He was unavailable for selection due to international commitments.
5. Dawid Malan
The number one T20I batsman in the world, Dawid Malan, has impressed in his stints with Peshawar Zalmi and more recently Islamabad United. He has scored heavily for both teams and has been in a rich vein of form for England.
Malan scored 131 runs at an average of 43.66 and a strike rate of 142.39 in the 4 matches he played last season. Like many other English players, Malan went unsold due to scheduling conflicts.
6. Luke Ronchi
Islamabad United’s main man and the hero of their second PSL title in 2018, Luke Ronchi, will not be taking part in PSL 6. He has commitments with New Zealand cricket as their batting coach and hence announced his decision to not play in the tournament.
Ronchi has been exceptional for Islamabad United for three seasons, scoring 1,020 runs at an average of 36.42 and an astonishing strike rate of 166.12 in 31 matches.
7. Rumman Raees
Two-time PSL champion with Islamabad United, Rumman Raees’s once-promising career looks to have come to a halt. Raess burst onto the scene in the first edition of PSL and put in impressive performances for United.
He earned a rightful call-up to the national squad soon after and was part of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 winning squad. But persistent knee injuries have been a thorn in his career and Islamabad United decided to release him after five successful seasons. Raees has taken 34 wickets at an average of 24.05 during his stint with United.
8. Ahmed Shehzad
Ahmed Shehzad’s fall from grace has left him without a PSL contract. this time around, Shehzad went unsold in PSL 2021 draft. Shehzad is currently the fifth-highest run-scorer in PSL history, scoring 1,077 runs at an average of 26.26, but no franchise was ready to gamble on Pakistan’s former opener.
Shehzad has represented Quetta Gladiators and Multan Sultans and was part of Quetta’s title-winning team in PSL 4.
9. Umar Amin
Umar Amin once had everything needed to succeed at the top level, but his inconsistency and immaturity saw him spiraling down the pecking order.
Although he had a decent outing in the National T20 Cup and Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, no franchise picked him up in the PSL 2021 draft. Umar Amin has represented Islamabad United, Quetta Gladiators, and Peshawar Zalmi but has been unimpressive every season.
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10. Yasir Shah
Pakistan’s main Test spinner, Yasir Shah, has had his troubles with white-ball cricket. No franchise put their trust in the leggie’s white-ball abilities this time around. Yasir has been part of PSL for four seasons and has represented Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi. He has picked up 26 wickets at an average of 26.61 in 27 matches he has played.
11. Junaid Khan
Nothing seems to be going Junaid Khan’s way lately. After getting exiled from the national team even after showing early promise, he must have been hopeful of proving his doubters wrong in the upcoming season of PSL.
But to add to his misery, Junaid went unsold in the draft. Junaid has represented Peshawar Zalmi and Multan Sultans in five PSL seasons and has picked up 36 wickets at an average of 30.00.
12. Tymal Mills
The express pacer from England, Tymal Mills, will not be taking part in the latest edition of the PSL. Mills has represented Peshawar Zalmi, Karachi Kings, and Quetta Gladiators in the PSL, picking up 28 wickets at an average of 21.85 and an economy rate of 7.79. Mills is not a permanent fixture in the England line-up and could have been a good pick in the PSL draft.
13. Liam Dawson
The English all-rounder has been impressive for Peshawar Zalmi during his three-year stay. He earned a much-deserved call-up to the English side after putting in exceptional performances for Peshawar Zalmi under pressure. He is now a permanent part of the English T20I team.
14. Hammad Azam
Hammad Azam never lived up to his highly-rated potential. His performances were unimpressive despite the talent he possessed and as a result, he was discarded from the national team.
Hammad’s opportunities in PSL have been limited as he played only 8 matches for two franchises, he has represented, Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi. He looked to be back in form in the recently concluded Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, scoring heavily, but he went unsold in PSL 2021 draft.
15. Bilawal Bhatti
Bilawal Bhatti’s career has been marred by injuries. He was once part of the national set-up and will be remembered for his contributions to Pakistan’s series win against South Africa in South Africa. Multan Sultans raised eyebrows when they went for Bilawal Bhatti in the draft last season, but their gamble did not pay off. Bilawal went unsold in the draft and will not be taking part in PSL 2021.
16. Khurram Manzoor
Khurram Manzoor has represented Karachi Kings and Quetta Gladiators in three PSL seasons he has taken part in. In the three seasons, he has only played eight matches and has scored only 184 runs. His slow strike rate at the top of the order has been an issue throughout his career and no PSL franchise put their trust in the opener. He went unsold in PSL 2021 draft.
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