A proving ground for Pakistan's next generation

Experienced pros, statesmen, old hands - whatever your cliche of choice, the law of averages states that it has probably, at some point in recent years, been applied to members of the Pakistan cricket team.

With the 'old warhorse' Misbah-ul-Haq at the helm and the 'grandmaster' Younis Khan as first mate, not to mention the odd cameo appearance from the seemingly never-ageing Shahid Afridi, Pakistani cricket has been somewhat synonymous with 'veteran' cricketers.

Before its debut last year, one of the stated aims of the Pakistan Super League was to usher in a generation of future international stars, the mandatory inclusion of one emerging player in each starting XI a clear indication of the desire to nurture some much needed fresh talent.

It was then a relief that on this front the tournament delivered handsomely, with at least a handful of young players making quite a first entrance onto the global stage.

The first man to grab to the spotlight was Mohammad Nawaz and in the most dramatic style possible, picking up the man of the match award in the inaugural PSL match, his figures of 4 for 13 scuppering Islamabad's innings before it ever really got going.

For Nawaz, who it should not be forgotten was one of Quetta's emerging players, it was just the beginning of a year to remember, he ended the tournament as the third-highest wicket taker, picking up 13 scalps at an average of 18 and an economy rate of 6.56, and chipping in with some useful lower order runs as well.

The rewards for such a strong tournament were quick in coming, with Nawaz earning a T20I debut against the UAE less than a week after Quetta were defeated in the final. Before the year was out or he'd even celebrated his 22nd birthday, he had also received ODI and Test caps for Pakistan - a poster boy for what exposure at the PSL could do for your career.

Another of the emerging players to make an immediate impact at last year's PSL was Mohammad Asghar, the then 17-year-old also snagging a man of the match award on his tournament debut, his 3 for 20 spinning Peshawar Zalmi to victory in their tournament opener against Islamabad.

The left-arm spinner finished the competition as its joint fifth-highest wicket taker, his 11 victims coming at an average of 18.45 and an economy rate of 6.54. Strong performances for Pakistan A followed and he earned himself a call up to the full international side for their tour of Australia, still before the age of 18.

Former Test spinner Iqbal Qasim is a big fan, labelling Asghar "a natural talent like Wasim Akram," adding "Asghar has all the ingredients to become a lethal spinner in international cricket. His greatest weapon is his self-confidence."

While Nawaz and Asghar were the two real big breakout stars of last year's PSL, the tournament also showcased the talents of some other promising Pakistani youngsters, notably Usama Mir and Rumman Raees both of whom undoubtedly benefited from the exposure and the chance to mix with established internationals from around the globe.

The young leg-spinner Usama, who picked up six wickets in the tournament, in fact considered it his PSL highlight.

"The best thing about the tournament for me was interacting with the foreign stars," he said. "Ravi Bopara told me he thinks I'm a fantastic bowler and this gave me a lot of confidence. I've since kept in regular contact with Ravi."

Raees, one of Islamabad's emerging players, and another in a seemingly never-ending production line of left-arm fast bowlers from Pakistan, might not quite have picked up the same number of wickets as some, but his performances caught the eye nonetheless and earned him praise from coach Dean Jones.

"I thought he was a really good kid, he was under some pressure, he showed a lot of composure at times, but I think there's a real good future for Pakistan cricket," Jones said. "Because we are forced to play emerging players, we've got a kid like Rumman Raees who's bowling beautifully, isn't it amazing when you give kids an opportunity?"

It is this last comment that is perhaps the most telling and a positive example of much of what the PSL set out to do, promote young talent and prepare it for the international stage - something Rumman might well have seen more of but for injury, a solitary T20I against the West Indies his only Pakistan cap so far.

So what does the second installment of the Pakistan Super League hold for this quartet? For Nawaz and Asghar there is no longer the benefit of relative anonymity; both now carry a heavy weight of expectation and it will be interesting to see how they cope. Usama will be hoping to build on his showing last year and continue to attract plaudits, while for Rumman it is a chance to rediscover the form that first marked him out as a talent in the first iteration of the tournament.

Ultimately though the best thing for these four and the many other promising young Pakistani players taking part in the PSL, such as Lahore's Ghulam Mudassar, is that they now have this opportunity to show off their skills, to test themselves against some of the best players in the world and to try and become part of the next generation of Pakistan cricket stars.