The third edition of Pakistan Super League turned out to be a bigger success with final being played in Karachi.
The competition saw plenty of thrilling contests with many games going down to the wire. The PSL 2018 saw plenty of action in terms of hat-tricks, super-over games, close finishes and young players rising to the fore to produce scintillating performances for their respective franchises.
From Hussain Talat’s big game temperament to Shaheen Afridi’s heroics with the ball, the league clearly showed that there is plenty of talent coming through the system in spite of no international cricket being played in the country.
So, here are our top five promising players who showcased their talent with bat and ball to earn praise and recognition of cricket pundits and fans during PSL 2018.
Ibtisam Sheikh
The 20-year old leg-spinner impressed everyone with his control and accuracy in the four games played in PSL 2018. Ibtisam is far away from being a finished article with the ball but really impressed everyone with his composure to perform at the highest level. He picked up five wickets in four games at a superb economy rate of 7.64. Peshawar Zalmi clearly missed a trick this season and should have persisted with Sheikh as he clearly wasn’t fazed by the spotlight being thrown at him during PSL 2018.
Hasan Khan
Hasan Khan clearly gained a lot of praise and recognition from the fans during the third edition of Pakistan Super League. The 19-year old also got an opportunity to showcase his skills with the bat as he smashed a six to see Quetta Gladiators clinch a thriller over Multan Sultans. His bowling has been good this season as he took 6 wickets from 11 matches in PSL 2018. He was under-bowled at times and should have been given more opportunities to prove his mettle with the ball at the highest level.
Shaheen Shah Afridi
One of the biggest talents to come out from nowhere, Shaheen Shah Afridi is undoubtedly a player who will play for Pakistan in the future. For Lahore Qalandars, Shaheen produced scintillating performances with the ball. His went on to claim his maiden five-wicket haul in PSL to see Lahore notch up their first win of the season.
Shaheen can clearly swing the ball and also was able to execute his variations at the back end of the innings. He finished the season with 7 wickets from 7 matches with an economy rate of 8.32.The 17-year old will definitely a potent weapon with the ball in the foreseeable future.
Asif Ali
The 26-year old really turned out to be a surprise package in the competition. Islamabad United utilized him well as he is an accomplished T20 player and is known for his power-hitting at the domestic level.
Misbah-ul-Haq and team management showed a lot of faith as he clinched the game for United in the final against Peshawar Zalmi. He clearly showed big match temperament and smashed three sixes to see United clinch their second title. Asif Ali made crucial contributions for Islamabad throughout the competition. He scored 213 runs in 11 games with a mind-boggling strike rate of 169.04 in PSL 2018. Asif might be in line to get his maiden-call up for the national side in the T20 format given his power-hitting abilities.
Hussain Talat
The left-handed batsman was impressive with the bat and ball for Islamabad United in the third season of Pakistan Super League. Clearly, he looked the best among the emerging players who showcased their talents with bat and ball this season. Hussain Talat showed maturity and composure to single-handedly to steer Islamabad to win a close win over Multan Sultans. His unbeaten 34-ball 48 was an indication that Talat can certainly perform in big situations for the franchise.
It was his useful innings against Lahore Qalandars that saw the side clinch the game in Super-Over to turn their campaign around by winning six games on the trot. He also chipped with crucial wickets for Islamabad in the final against Peshawar Zalmi.
It is evident that these emerging players might play for Pakistan in the near future. Pakistan Super League has become a breeding ground for many young cricketers who have come out of nowhere to play for Pakistan at the highest level.
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