Gayle, Steyn, Rashid among top foreign draws for next year's PSL

A total of 25 foreign players, including big names like Chris Gayle, Dale Steyn and Rashid Khan have enlisted themselves in the draft for the sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League.

The Pakistan Cricket Board on Tuesday (5 January 2020) released the list of foreign players with big names like Rashid Khan, Chris Gayle, and Dale Steyn placed in the Platinum category.

A PCB official said the interest by foreign players in the coming PSL was very good despite a packed international calendar in February-March.

The PCB has placed Pakistan captain, Babar Azam, Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir also in the platinum category.

The PCB said in a statement that the foreign players in other categories included top-ranked T20I batsman Dawid Malan, Dwayne Bravo, Chris Lynn, Alex Hales, Morne Morkel, Mohammad Nabi, Imran Tahir, Tom Banton, and Chris Jordan, all of whom confirmed their availability for the tournament.

But it said some of these players will only be partially available for PSL 2021 due to a "packed international calendar during the February to March window.

After the release of the names of the 25 foreign players in the 'Platinum' category, the six franchises of the PSL will "make key trade and retention decisions" before the player draft scheduled for Jan 10 in Lahore.

Each team is allowed a maximum of eight retentions, according to the PCB. The PCB said the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 Player of the Decade Rashid Khan will be one of the major attractions of the draft.

"The Afghanistan leg-spinner has bagged a total of 338 wickets in 244 T20 games besides his staggering T20I numbers of 89 wickets in 48 matches," it said.

South African player Miller, who has yet to play in the PSL, will be one of the most sought after players for the franchises, the press release added.

Morkel, Rassie van der Dussen, Tahir, Colin Ingram, and Rilee Rossouw have also been included in the Platinum category.

West Indies' Gayle who represented Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars in earlier editions of the tournament will also be a "major attraction". Other players from West Indies are Bravo, Carlos Brathwaite, Lendl Simmons, and Evin Lewis.

"Besides Malan, England's Alex Hales who was part of the Kings' winning squad in last year's edition is also on the list. Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan and Tom Banton are also part of the Platinum roster.

Mujeeb-ur-Rehman and allrounder Mohammad Nabi are the two other Afghanistan players on the list along with Rashid Khan while Sri Lanka's Thisara Perera and Isuru Udana also feature on the list with Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman and Nepal's Sandeep Lamichanne.