The draft of the eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League was held last week in Karachi. While all the franchises have tried to find the perfect combination for their outfits, many big names remained unpicked in the draft.
Here are a few players who will surprisingly miss out on the eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League:
1. Aaron Finch
Australian captain, Aaron Finch, who was listed in the Platinum category remained unpicked in the draft for PSL 8. The reason behind all the teams not selecting Aaron Finch might be his national duties as well as his unimpressive form in recent events.
2. Rassie van der Dussen
South Africa’s star batter, Rassie van der Dussen, also went unsold in the Platinum category of the PSL 8 draft. The batter had also missed the T20 World Cup 2022 after he sustained an injury in September. Moreover, he might also be unavailable due to South Africa’s packed schedule at the time of the Pakistan Super League.
3. Kieron Pollard
Kieron Pollard has long been a part of T20 leagues around the world but the Pakistan Super League teams have now decided to bid farewell to the star all-rounder as the Trinidadian went unselected in the Platinum category of the PSL 8 draft.
4. Dawid Malan
English cricketer, Dawid Malan, was included in the Platinum category of the eighth draft of the Pakistan Super League. He suffered a serious injury during the T20 World Cup 2022 which might have kept the franchises from banking on the 35-year-old.
5. Shakib al Hassan
Bangladesh captain, Shakib al Hasan, was also overlooked by the PSL franchises which might be due to colliding schedules of the Bangladesh Premier League and PSL. The star all-rounder was listed in the Platinum category of the draft.
6. Lungi Ngidi
South African speedster, Lungi Ngidi, went unpicked in the draft as his availability for the entire tournament is unconfirmed owing to South Africa’s schedule.
7. Reece Topley
English player, Reece Topley, was also ignored by the PSL teams in the draft. Since he sustained a ligament injury to get ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2022, there are question marks around his fitness. The English bowler was a part of the Platinum category.
8. Mohammad Nabi
Afghan all-rounder, Mohammad Nabi, will also not be a part of the next edition of the Pakistan Super League as he went unpicked in the draft. The all-rounder had recently stepped down from the role of captaincy after Afghanistan was knocked out of the T20 World Cup 2022.
9. Ahmad Shehzad
Ahmad Shehzad, who was a part of Quetta Gladiators for a long time, was not retained this year and also remained unpicked in the draft.
10. Mohammad Hafeez
Mohammad Hafeez, who played his last season for Lahore Qalandars, was not selected by any team as he has announced his retirement from international cricket and might not hold the future potential for franchise cricket too.
While many big names have not been picked in the draft, the teams still look balanced and well-sewn with a blend of exciting local talent and world-class foreign stars. The eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League is bound to exhibit top-class cricket as it begins on 9 February 2023.
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on top shahid afridi