Under the radar: Who will be PSL 2018's breakout Pakistani star?
Several young players who have impressed in Pakistan's domestic circuit have the chance to grab the limelight in the Pakistan Super League
Just two seasons in, the Pakistan Super League has already given the national team a number of young stars. Shadab Khan, Rumman Raees, Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman are all integral members of Pakistan's limited-overs sides and have played crucial roles in their rise to the top of the T20I rankings. We take a look at who might be the next impact player to come out of the tournament
Islamabad United
The 21-year-old Farhan doesn't have much experience, but he grabbed plenty of attention last year with an attractive List A hundred in the final of the Pakistan Cup. He has been in good form since then, scoring another hundred, this time in the Regional One-Day Cup, for Peshawar against Lahore Whites.
Talat, 22, hails from Lahore and has been on the circuit since 2013. He has ample experience already, having played 30 first-class games, 41 List A matches and 31 T20s. The left-hand batsman has done particularly well in the white-ball formats, averaging 43.27 in 50-overs cricket and 36.66, with a strike rate of 121.14, in T20s.
Karachi Kings
Hasan Mohsin finished the 2016 Under-19 World Cup as the best allrounder, scoring 293 runs at 97.66 and picking up 11 wickets at 14.81. He recently announced himself in Grade I cricket in Pakistan, scoring 356 runs and taking 18 wickets from five first-class and nine List A games for Pakistan Television. The 20-year old started his cricket as a legspinner but later switched to medium-pace. This PSL could be a turning point in his career.
Lahore Qalandars
It is unusual to include a former international on this list, but then again, 25-year old Raza Hasan, who has played an ODI and 10 T20Is, has had anything but a usual career. Thrown into the Pakistan side at 20, he made his debut against Australia in Dubai, registering figures of 2 for 15 as the Australians were bowled out for 89. He later went to the World T20, where he similarly impressed, and gushing reviews claimed he had the world at his feet.
However, all the hope and promise unravelled in sad circumstances, after he was handed a two-year ban for doping in 2015. He was eventually spotted again by Aaqib Javed last year, who said he was struggling to gain entry to Gaddafi Stadium and was reduced to playing on the streets. Aaqib promised to get his career back on track, and drafted him into the Qalandars squad. Who can begrudge him a successful second innings?
Multan Sultans
Nineteen-year old Saif Badar is not yet a household name, but if you take the word of coaches who have worked with him, he may well be soon. Earmarked by Aaqib as the "next batting hero" for Pakistan, Badar was prolific at the 2016 Under-19 World Cup, scoring 258 runs in six matches, including an unbeaten 75 against England. A right-handed batsman with a high backlift and the ability to generate easy power, Badar could well be the newest youngster to use the PSL as a launchpad for an international career.
Peshawar Zalmi
Twenty-three-year-old Khushdil Shah is an unlikely star. Hailing from Bannu - hardly a production line of Pakistani cricketers - in the north of Pakistan, Shah has discreetly begun to make waves in the rest of the country. He wasn't great in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, scoring 386 runs at 25.73, but burst to life in the Regional One Day Cup earlier this season, with 389 runs at 55.57 and a strike-rate near 96. That means Shah enters the PSL high on confidence - the biggest stage he could possibly hope for to exhibit his budding talent.
Quetta Gladiators
Quetta's emerging player from the previous season, Hasan Khan, continues to develop in 2018. He led Pakistan to the semi-finals of the Under-19 World Cup in February and his skill as a left-arm spinner is considerable. He took 2 for 10 on PSL debut, helping his team defend a total of 136 in spectacular fashion.
Saad Ali rose to prominence in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy this season, scoring good runs on treacherous pitches. The 24-year-old left-hander tallied 957 at 68.35 for United Bank Limited with three hundreds and three fifties. He is relatively new to T20 cricket but his List A record - 1448 runs at an average of 48 and a strike-rate of 84 - suggests he has the ability to adjust to shorter formats.
Danyal Rasool is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. Umar Farooq is ESPNcricinfo's Pakistan correspondent
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