Discover the 7 players fans miss the most in PSL 9. You’ll be surprised to find out that some are Pakistani players who did really well in previous PSL seasons. Others can’t play this time because of injuries or they’re just not available. Fans really wish they could see these players in action again.
Number 7: Umar Akmal: There’s hardly a Pakistani cricket fan who wouldn’t recognize this name. There was a time when cricket pundits considered him the next Inzamam-Ul-Haq. Much before the Babar vs Virat comparisons, Umar Akmal was being compared to Virat Kohli. However, Umar Akmal proved everyone wrong with his on and off-the-field behavior and attitude issues. Once known as the king of death overs in PSL history and the top run-scorer of season one, Umar Akmal is not part of any team this time. Last year, he was part of the Quetta Gladiators squad.
Number 6: Sharjeel Khan: Sharjeel Khan is one of the finest hard hitters Pakistan has ever produced. Similar to Umar Akmal, for various reasons, Sharjeel Khan couldn’t extend his international career with the Pakistan Cricket Team as much as he could have.
Moving back to the PSL, Sharjeel is one of the five batters who have scored more than one century in the PSL. For the past few seasons, he was a part of the Karachi Kings, but this year, the Karachi Kings did not retain him, nor did any other PSL team pick him in the PSL 9 draft. Karachi Kings are certainly missing his destructive batting this time around. He has scored 1127 runs at a healthy strike rate of 140 in the PSL.
Number 5: Tim David: The backbone of Multan Sultans‘ batting for the last three seasons, Tim David, is not participating in the PSL this time due to national duty. Tim David has scored 425 runs for Multan Sultans at a strike rate of 185, including 31 sixes.
Number 4: Ahmad Shehzad: Ahmad Shehzad’s absence is a big miss in PSL 9. He’s been playing really well lately, even ranking among the top 10 batters in the National T20 Cup. Despite his good performance, no team picked him for PSL 9. Upset by this, he decided to retire from the PSL and shared his feelings in a heartfelt social media post. He’s now playing in the BPL for Fortune Barishal, and his team is gearing up for the Eliminator game on Monday, February 26.
His last appearance in the PSL was back in 2020 with the Quetta Gladiators. Keeping an eye on his performances, it seems he was the most deserving player to at least feature in any team in PSL 9.
Number 3: Ihsanullah: The biggest discovery and man of the tournament in PSL 8, Ihsanullah won’t be seen in action this time due to an injury. He was really consistent for the Sultans last season, with his fast pace and skill in taking wickets. Although the Multan Sultans have managed well without him, having Ihsanullah would have made their pace bowling attack even more dangerous.
Number 2: Sohaib Maqsood: In PSL 2021, Sohaib Maqsood was a key player in making Multan Sultans the champions. He won both the Man of the Match in the final and the Man of the Tournament awards. But after that, the Multan Sultans dropped him in 2023, and Islamabad United picked him in the draft. This year, no team chose him in the PSL 9 draft. In his PSL career, he’s hit 1045 runs, swinging at a lively strike rate of 129.
“One of my favorite years of PSL, but still can’t figure out why I was benched out of the playing XI in 16 matches over the next 2 years.”
- Sohaib Maqsood via Twitter, while remembering his PSL 2021 season with Multan Sultans.
Number 1: Rashid Khan: Known for turning matches around in the middle overs, Rashid Khan is missing from this year’s PSL due to an injury. The Lahore Qalandars are finding it difficult to cope without him. He’s grabbed 44 wickets for the Lahore Qalandars, shining with a tight economy rate of 6.13.
Now, with their top fast bowler Haris Rauf also out because of a shoulder injury, the woes for Lahore Qalandars keep deepening. They’re facing one setback after another, with injuries piling up and losses accumulating. Explore more articles and updates on the Howzdat Live Blog.
