Even though Pakistani players are not allowed to feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to the strained relations between India and Pakistan, what if in an ‘ideal world’ players from across the border could feature in IPL? Former Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody named a ‘blockbuster’ pick while Sanjay Manjrekar also had his say on the players who would have gotten big money deals.
During the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008, Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan and Sohail Tanvir were part of the Rajasthan Royals unit which won the inaugural IPL title with Rajasthan Royals and there were many other renowned players from across the border who played in that edition including the likes of Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Salman Butt and Shoaib Akhtar.
Following the 26/11 attacks though, Pakistani players were not included in the IPL auctions and the trend has been followed ever since.
In a ‘perfect world’ though, Moody felt that Pakistani pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi would have been a ‘blockbuster’ pick.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam, ace batter Mohammad Rizwan and star all-rounder Shadab Khan would have all bagged multi-million dollar deals according to Moody and Manjrekar.
“Shaheen Afridi, Babar Azam, Rizwan and Shadab Khan. They have got a number of terrific players, particularly in this format of the game. Shaheen would be your No.1 pick, he would be box office,” Moody was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
Manjrekar also backed the likes of Rizwan and Shadab while he also mentioned the name of Harris Rauf, and Fakhar Zaman, two more players who would bring immense value to any side.
“One of the best death bowlers, Haris Rauf. I think about their bowlers more than their batters. But Fakhar Zaman would be an interesting choice in certain teams,” said Manjrekar.
“Rizwan is somebody who plays the anchor’s role. Sometimes, I tend to get worried when Babar and Rizwan bat together,” the cricketer-turned-commentator added.
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