IPL 2019: 5 Pakistan players who could rule the auction if allowed

Pakistan are ranked number one in T20Is and rightly so, as they have won 11 straight series under the leadership of wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfraz Ahmed. While their form in Test and ODI cricket has been indifferent at times, they have simply been unstoppable in the shortest format. As far as the T20 format is concerned, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to take place in a few months’ time. The most-awaited auction is most likely to be staged on December 18 in Jaipur and around 70 players will come under the hammer. Nevertheless, Pakistani cricketers won’t be a part of them as they are barred ever since 2009. However, a number of their players can definitely attract significant bids, if given a chance to participate in the auction. In our article, we take you through five of them. Babar Azam Babar Azam. (Photo Source: Twitter) The 24-year-old batter from Lahore, Punjab may not be one of the swashbuckling batsmen doing the rounds, but as far as consistency is concerned, very few have been able to match him. Recently, he became the fastest batsman to score 1,000 T20I runs, surpassing the enigmatic Indian captain Virat Kohli, who has been in red-hot form of late, to say the least, in all three forms of international cricket. Babar was the leading run-scorer in the T20I series against Australia and came up with decent shows against New Zealand. He is currently the number-one ranked batsman in T20Is. The right-hander is someone, who can manoeuvre the field with expertise and can also find the boundaries on a consistent basis. On Indian pitches where batting can be difficult, Babar’s experience can make the difference. Asif Ali Asif Ali. (Photo Source: ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images) The Faisalabad-born cricketer can be a tad inconsistent at times, but yet can be an asset to any side bearing in mind his fearless approach while batting. The 27-year-old can whack the leather a fair distance and he doesn’t mind taking on the best in the business. The right-hander mostly bats in the middle order and has the ability to inflict a fair amount of damage to the opposition bowling. In a short international career, Asif has already made a mark with strike-rates of 130.71 and 138.59 in ODI and T20I cricket respectively. He is presently plying his trade for Cape Town Blitz in the inaugural edition of the Mzansi Super League (MSL) and has already played a knock of 80 from 33 balls against Durban Heat. Maybe not as destructive as an Andre Russell, but he can be a headache for bowlers. Imad Wasim Imad Wasim of Pakistan. (Photo by Barrington Coombs-IDI/IDI via Getty Images) Wasim is currently the most effective all-rounder for Pakistan in limited-overs cricket. The 29-year-old cricketer doesn’t turn the ball much but shows accuracy to get a stranglehold on the batsman. His deliveries skid through and at times beat the batsmen with pace. Apart from that, he can also get handy runs lower order and a T20 average of 17.96 is a testament to his prowess with the willow in hand. The Glamorgan-born player has 35 wickets in 31 matches with an economy rate of 6.02, which is deemed to be jaw-dropping in today’s generation of slam-bang cricket. Back in 2017, he also became the number one ranked bowler in T20s. Even in the recent T20Is against Australia and the Black Caps, he was hard to get away. Wasim can undoubtedly turn out to be an indispensable member of any IPL team. Shadab Khan Shadab Khan. (Photo Source: Twitter) Shadab Khan has come up the ranks in the last one and half years and has carved a reputation as an integral member of Pakistan in ODI and T20I cricket. His spells against Windies at the start of his career brought him into the limelight. He hasn’t looked back ever since and currently has 42 T20I wickets in 29 matches with a superb economy of 6.58, which shows that he can wear down the opposition batting. He has also effectively bowled for Islamabad United in last season’s Pakistan Super League (PSL). To add to his prowess, he has also emerged as more than a handy batsman lower down the order and can also chip in with big shots in the hour of need. Leg-spinners like Rashid Khan and others have tasted success in the IPL and keeping in mind the same, the franchises may have gone after the Mianwali-born tweaker. Shaheen Shah Afridi Shaheen Shah Afridi celebrates a wicket. (Photo Source: Twitter) The year 2018 has thus far been a satisfying one for Shaheen Shah Afridi. At a tender age of 18, the left-arm fast bowler has captured the imaginations of the supporters with his enthusiasm and valour on the cricket pitch. The speedster is tall and has the ability to generate a lot of bounce, sometimes even from lifeless wickets. His performances in the U19 team earned him a place in the national team. He has only played seven T20Is in which he has picked up 11 wickets, albeit his economy rate is on the higher side. The seamer has the knack of picking up big wickets and that makes him a valuable addition to any T20 side. There are many Indian pitches that provide enough assistance to the pacers in order to ruffle the feathers of the opposition batters and Afridi can reap benefits out of the seamer-friendly strips. Get the latest Cricket News and updates, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.

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IPL 2019: 5 Pakistan players who could rule the auction if allowed

Franchises would've entered into a bidding war for these players.

Imad Wasim

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