The 2016 Pakistan super league series inaugural season would start from 4
th February to 23
rd February when the final match is played. Initially, the matches were to be played in DOHA but later on the venue was shifted to
Dubai and
SHARJAH. The series would be a battle royal between the 5 teams representing 5 cities in Pakistan namely Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta and Lahore.
Pitches in Dubai and SHARJAH are very similar to Subcontinent pitches however they also aid swing early on. Bowlers in the franchisee teams are no mug with the ball and can play havoc with the opposition line up. QUETTA gladiators with MOIN Khan as coach is a formidable contender for the title as it will try to stifle the opponents with its impeccable bowlers and fielders.
Karachi Kings are waiting in the wings to spoil the party of the Quetta Gladiators as it is the most expensive team in PSL. With MUSHTAQ AHMED as the bowling coach of the team, the management would focus on hiring top quality spinners. In a nutshell, the opposition would find hard to tackle the bowlers of the Karachi kings.
Players like ZULFIKAR BABUR and SHAHID AFRIDI are bound to be the toast of the season 2016. One of the teams to watch out in the upcoming PSL league would be LAHORE QALANDERS. The name itself signifies youth and the team is expected to live up to its aura. Coached by PADDY UPTON, it is bound to be a good fielding unit and would give a tough time to the other 4 in the league.
Arrival of the KEVIN PETERSON will spice up the matches as he is a combative batsman and on any given day blow thee bowlers apart. Moreover, he also brings in star power to the league which is already loaded with top Pakistani cricketers.
PESHAWAR ZALMI, one of the franchises teams can be the dark horse of the tournament. It is purchased for 16 million dollars over a period of 10 years by the international Giant HAIER. The appointment of Andy Flower as the head coach ensures that the team would deliver a sterling performance as far as thee batting is concerned. Low bouncy pitches in SHARJAH might make the job easier.
PSL will be a royal battle with MOHAMMAD IRFAN steaming in and bouncing the batsmen out to the pavilion. Nobody can ignore talent that WAHAB RIAZ posses. He will be the primary Bowler in the tournament that could get the opposition out with his fabulous deliveries.
Islamabad United team representing the capital of the country is another title contender that has the capability to strike fear in the minds of the opposition. Batting coach Dean Jones would ensure that the chinks in the armors are eliminated if there are any. Appointment of SHOAIB AKHTAR as a coach in the bowling department is a boost for the team. Agression would not be in a short supply on the field and the Islamabad bowlers would be looking to take early wickets of the opposition team. All said and done, the tournament will not be short of cliff hanger matches as teams look fairly balanced to give a tough fight to each other.
Signed International Players for Pakistan Super League 2016
Brad Hodge, Kevin Pietersen, Ravi Bopara, Luke Wright, Tim Bresnan, Jade Dernbach, Chris Jordan, Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy, Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Denesh Ramdin, Jason Holder, Jesse Ryder, Grant Elliott, James Franklin, Shakib Al Hasan, Angelo Mathews, Lasith Malinga, Thisara Perera and many more to come.
Team Franchise Owners
- Quetta Team - Omar Associates
- Karachi Team - Salman Iqbal, CEO Ary Group
- Lahore team - Qatar Oil
- Islamabad Team - Leonine Global Sports
- Peshawar Team - Javed Afridi, CEO Haier Group