Sanjay Manjrekar, Tom Moody pick Pakistan players who could have been IPL top dogs

The sixteenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) recently came to an end with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) securing a thrilling last-ball triumph against Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to claim their fifth title. The competition is recognised as the most prestigious franchise cricket tournament in the world, which features some of the finest players.

Tragically, Pakistan players were only permitted to play in the league during its initial season in 2008; since then, due to the tense political ties between the two nations, Pakistan players have not been eligible to get involved in the competition.

Interestingly, former cricketers Tom Moody and Sanjay Manjrekar discussed about Pakistan players who, in an ideal world, would have proven successful in securing IPL contracts. While Moody was confident that Men in Green pacer Shaheen Afridi would be considered one of the top picks, he further highlighted Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shadab Khan as players who would have brought in a substantial payout during the auctions.

"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,” Tom Moody told ESPNcricinfo.

Haris Rauf is one of the best death bowler: Manjrekar

Manjrekar, meanwhile, suggested IPL teams would target a player like Haris Rauf, who could be an advantageous alternative in the death overs. He even identified Fakhar Zaman as an individual who could potentially have been on the team's radar.

“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. Rizwan is somebody who plays the anchor's role. Sometimes, I tend to get worried when Babar and Rizwan bat together,” Manjrekar said.

The likes of Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Shoaib Malik, Karman Akmal, Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Asif were part of the IPL 2008.