PSL 2019: 5 Pakistan players who can aim for a national comeback

The fourth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will kick off on Valentine’s Day in Dubai. PSL 4.0 comes back much bigger and on a larger scale with a lot more entertainment on the cards. Pitbull will be performing at the opening ceremony to start this event on a grand scale. Moreover, as many as eight matches will be played in Pakistan which should be a delight for the home crowd.

While the tournament has raised its scale by a fair margin, there are a few players who would be hoping to improve upon their performance scale as well. These cricketers, who have been away from international cricket, will be looking forward to making a statement with their performances right ahead of the World Cup 2019. The PSL 2019 could be a gateway for them to make a comeback into the national team.

5 Pakistan players who will aim a comeback through the PSL:

1. Rumman Raees

The 27-year-old Rumman Raees has been the victim of several injuries in the last few years. He missed the bus to the Asia Cup and World T20 in 2016 owing to a hamstring injury. But, he did make his ODI debut eventually against England in the Champions Trophy 2017. He slowly evolved as an important member of the Pakistan line-up.

But, just as he was making rapid strides at the highest level and in the PSL, a knee injury followed by a back injury kept him out of action for over a year. The left-arm pacer has now regained his fitness, put a lot of hours into training and is all set to go once again. A good performance here can seal the World Cup berth for him.

2. Ahmed Shehzad

Ahmed Shehzad, who made his international debut at just 17 years of age, is one of the finest batsmen to have evolved from Pakistan. Often touted as Pakistan’s Virat Kohli, Shehzad is an extremely hard worker and is very talented. But, disciplinary and fitness issues have got the better of him in the last few years.

In October 2018, the batsman was banned for four months as he was tested positive in an anti-doping test which was backdated to July 2018. But since he played seven matches in twelve days for his club Muslim Gymkhana, his ban was further extended by another six weeks. He will wish to leave all the controversies behind and get some runs under his belt at this point of his career.

3. Hammad Azam

Batting all-rounder Hammad Azam made his debut for Pakistan way back in 2011. But, he only managed to play 16 international games for the team due to the inconsistency issues. He last played an ODI for Pakistan in 2015 and hasn’t been picked in the team since then.

Hammad has played 79 T20 games in his career thus far and scored 1,050 runs at an average of 20. He’d surely look to improve upon these numbers in the upcoming tournament. Hammad didn’t play a T20I for Pakistan since 2013 and his last appearance was against Pakistan in Kingstown.

4. Wahab Riaz

Wahab Riaz was once the leader of the pace attack in the Pakistan team. Terrific pace, brilliant accuracy, and amazing in-swingers were his biggest strengths. However, it isn’t the same anymore as the left-arm pacer has struggled with both his form and fitness in recent times.

Wahab is not the same kind of force as he was earlier. It has been nearly two years since he played white-ball cricket for Pakistan. The 33-year-old showed signs of good form at times but failed to maintain consistency. The PSL is the perfect platform for him to bounce back and earn a call-up in the national team again.

5. Junaid Khan

Junaid Khan is another one of those brilliant pacers who hasn’t been able to deliver the required goods just at the stroke of the World Cup. It has been ages since he represented Pakistan in the Tests and T20Is. But, he was a part of the ODI side in the recent series against New Zealand in November last year.

But he failed to impress which meant that he had yet again dropped from the team. He wasn’t a part of the side that flew to South Africa. However, he is still in the reckoning and has got the best chance amongst these five players to make it to the World Cup squad.

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