AB de Villiers, Shahid Afridi and the players to watch at PSL 2019 - in pictures

Pakistan Super League enters its fourth season, with a host of household names set to compete in the tournament

AB de Villiers (Lahore Qalandars) You may have heard of him. The South African great will be making his first appearance in the Pakistan Super League, which is now into its fourth season. He will be tasked with rousing a chronically under-performing franchise, who have finished last in every PSL to date. Getty Images

Shadab Khan (Islamabad United) Ranked No 3 in the world ratings for T20 bowlers, the leg-spinner was an integral part of Islamabad’s title win last year. He still only 20, but has long been a mainstay both at international and franchise level. He is held in such high regard that he has been elevated to the role of Islamabad vice-captain, as understudy to veteran quick bowler Mohammed Sami. Getty Images

Colin Munro (Karachi Kings) The free-hitting left-handed opener will be well versed with the conditions he is set to face here, having played in both the Afghanistan Premier League and New Zealand’s bilateral series against Pakistan at the end of 2018. He returns to the Emirates in good touch, too, with runs in New Zealand’s series against India. Getty Images

Dawid Malan (Peshawar Zalmi) One of the overseas players who underpinned Peshawar’s title win two years ago, amid joyous scenes as the final was played back in Pakistan for the first time. Since then, Malan has been an Ashes star for England, then fallen out of favour again. His return to the PSL is likely to be a popular one. Getty Images

Fawad Ahmed (Quetta Gladiators) Leg-spinners are a highly-valued commodity in T20 cricket. Fawad might not be the most high-profile of the ilk, but he has had success in the short-format, most notably in the Caribbean Premier League. He is an intriguing new addition to the PSL, having lived in Pakistan until his late 20s, before finding fame, fortune, and citizenship, in Australia. Getty Images

Shahid Afridi (Multan Sultans) Whisper it quietly, but Afridi was beginning to show signs of ageing last time he was here, when he coasted through the T10 League in Sharjah. He did, however, play a full programme of Bangladesh Premier League fixtures, to decent effect. And nobody will be more popular with UAE crowds than Afridi, who turns 39 on March 1. Chris Whiteoak / The National

As the Pakistan Super League enters its fourth edition, Paul Radley selects a player to watch from each of the six franchises in the photo gallery above.

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