Several Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises have bid farewell to their foreign players ahead of the season 8 playoffs due to their national team duties.
However, all six franchises were well aware of this issue in advance and were given plenty of leeway in the player draft by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to prepare for this eventuality.
Akeal Hosein of Multan Sultans, Rovman Powell of Peshawar Zalmi and Odean Smith of Quetta Gladiators have left to join up with the West Indies national squad.
Akeal was the Sultans’ Gold category pick this season but was already out of the team after the first few games as Mohammad Rizwan’s side relied on local bowling talent with the foreign contingent making up their batting firepower.
Powell had a decent season with Zalmi scoring 189 runs with the bat at a strike rate of 167. With the domination of the Saim Ayub and Babar Azam pairing, he, like the rest of the Zalmi’s team, was reduced to a power-hitting role for the most part.
Odean Smith had a mixed bag of a season with Quetta, scoring just 50 runs in 6 innings and taking just 5 wickets in six games while averaging 42 with the ball.
Meanwhile, Rassie van der Dussen has left Islamabad United for South Africa duties while his countrymate David Miller has left Sultans.
Rassie already had to make way for Alex Hales when he returned but leaves having scored 148 runs in 6 matches.
Miller, meanwhile, did not have to do much for the Sultans this season scoring just 119 runs in 6 outings due to Multan’s batting depth. With Tim David back in the team, the Sultans are well covered for the final push.
Despite losing some star power in form of foreign players departing PSL 8 before the business end begins, the tournament still has plenty to offer in its final furlong.
