Big-hitting West Indian batsman Chris Gayle, star Afghan spinner Rashid Khan and veteran South African fast bowler Dale Steyn are among some of the top international players included in the Pakistan Super League Players' Draft which will take place in Lahore on Sunday.
Other prominent foreign players who figured in the Draft for the sixth edition of the PSL include Dawid Malan, Moeen Ali and Chris Jordan from England, other West Indians Dwayne Bravo and Sheldon Cottrell, another Afghan player Muhammad Nabi, South African David Miller and Australian Chris Lynn.
Around 400 foreign players have registered for the PSL starting from February 20, but the Pakistan Cricket Board said on Saturday that a few of them will not be available for the whole tournament due to their commitments with their national teams.
The 41-year-old Gayle has previously represented Lahore Qalandars (in 2016) and Karachi Kings (in 2017). He boasts of an outstanding T20 career figures with 13584 runs from 411 matches with a top score 175 not out and a strike rate of 146.72. He has hit 22 centuries, 85 half-centuries, 1001 sixes and 80 wickets at an economy of 7.64.
If Gayle is picked by one of the six franchises, this will be the first time since 2006 that he will play competitive cricket in Pakistan. The Jamaican's stints with Qalandars and Kings were in the United Arab Emirates.
England's No.1 ranked T20 batsman Dawid Malan is also in the draft, along with compatriots Moeen Ali, Tom Banton and Chris Jordan, although their availability is likely to remain limited due to their international commitments.
Afghanistan's Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rehman, the world's top two ranked bowlers in T20 cricket, and number-one ranked all-rounder Mohammad Nabi will also be major attractions of the Draft. They are among a strong field of 38 Afghanistan players, who have registered for the Draft.
Some of the foreign players in the PSL 2021 Player Draft:
West Indies: Chris Gayle, Ronsford Beaton, Devendra Bishoo, Carlos Brathwaite, Dwayne Bravo, Johnson Charles, Sheldon Cottrell, Shane Dowrich, Dominic Drakes, Andre Fletcher, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Mohammed, Sherfane Rutherford, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith and Chadwick Walton.
Afghanistan: Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rehman and Rashid Khan.
Australia: Chris Green, Fawad Ahmed, Dan Christian, James Faulkner and Chris Lynn.
Bangladesh: Anamul Haque, Mahedi Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mahmudullah, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed.
England: Jake Ball, Moeen Ali, Tom Banton, Ravi Bopara, Joe Denly, Ben Duckett, Lewis Gregory, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Samit Patel, Liam Plunkett and Phil Salt.
Nepal: Sandeep Lamichhane.
New Zealand: Anton Devcich and Mitch McCleneghan.
South Africa: Kyle Abbott, Cameron Delport, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Tabraiz Shamsi and Dale Steyn.
Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya De Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Avishka Fernando, Dimuth Karunarathna, Suranga Lakmal, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Kusal Perera, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Pradeep, Lakshan Sandakan, Upul Tharanga and Lahiru Thirimanne.
