Ahead of the start of the inaugural Pakistan Super League (PSL) in the UAE, Osman Samiuddin provides his comprehensive team-by-team guide.
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FRANCHISE: ISLAMABAD UNITED
Owners: Leonine Global Sports, part of an investment company owned by a non-resident Pakistani family
Captain: Misbah-ul-Haq, pictured
Coach: Dean Jones
Team: Few of the teams have as strong a spine as Islamabad: Shane Watson up top, Misbah in the middle, Andre Russell as the all-rounder and Mohammad Irfan the lead bowler. On paper, in fact, they have a very strong and balanced line-up, if you factor in the presence of Pakistan internationals such as Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam and Umar Amin, as well as Sam Billings and Samuel Badree. They could well be the team to watch through the first season.
Key man: Misbah has not been part of Pakistan's Twenty20 squad for a while but quite often, given his performances in various domestic leagues you could question the wisdom of that decision. Additionally, as captain he will be an important influence on proceedings.
Game-changer: Mohammad Irfan, injuries aside, has developed into a wonderfully rounded bowler over the last year or two. To his natural strengths of pace and height, he has also added wonderful variation and his cutters, in particular, are a threat.
Squad: Shane Watson, Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Amin, Sam Billings, Andre Russell, Kamran Ghulam, Samuel Badree, Mohammad Irfan, Ruman Raees, Ammad Butt, Mohammad Sami, Khalid Latif, Brad Haddin, Imran Khalid
Supplementary picks: Ashar Zaidi, Saeed Ajmal, Hussain Talat, Umar Siddiq
FRANCHISE: KARACHI KINGS
Owners: ARY Group, one of Pakistan's biggest media companies
Captain: Shoaib Malik, pictured
Coach: Mickey Arthur
Team: At one point in the player draft, it seemed as if Karachi would pick a squad entirely composed of bits and pieces all-rounders. The side still looks a little all-rounder-heavy, but around the edges, there is some specialist firepower. Primarily, Malik will be the star man; for years he has led the most successful Twenty20 side in Pakistan, in the Sialkot Stallions. Lendl Simmons, as opener, will be useful though a potential middle order of Malik, Ravi Bopara, Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim feels too one-paced (all strike rates around 120). It does mean, however, they have great options a bowling attack led by Mohammad Amir.
Key man: All eyes will, of course, be on Amir. He has some good support around him — keep an eye on Sohail Khan's return to the big time after injury — but clearly Karachi will look to benefit most from Amir at the start and death of an innings.
Game-changer: In a side full of all-rounders, the captain Malik could be the one who makes a difference. He has grown in stature since his return to the side last year and has, to his credit, performed too. Above all, he just knows how to run a successful Twenty20 side.
Squad: Lendl Simmons, Nauman Anwar, Shoaib Malik, Ravi Bopara, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Amir, Sohail Khan, Mir Hamza, Usama Mir, Imad Wasim, Bilawal Bhatti, Nauman Anwar, Iftikhar Ahmed, Safiullah Bangash
Supplementary picks: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Shahzaib Hasan, Fawad Alam
FRANCHISE: LAHORE QALANDARS
Owners: Qatar Lubricants Company (QALCO) is the leading oil lubricants company in Qatar
Captain: Azhar Ali, pictured left (not yet confirmed)
Coach: Paddy Upton
Team: If you are looking for a good party to join during the PSL, the Lahore Qalandars' hotel might not be a bad place to end up at. Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Umar Akmal at the weekend? Expect high jinks. To be more serious though, here is a batting line-up that, potentially, can eat alive almost any bowling attack if it is having a good day. It could also collapse in a haze of its own hubris to any bowling attack in the league. The bowling could be more than a little iffy, but they will be a fun team to watch.
Key man: Could this be the stage for which Umar Akmal was made? He has regressed over the years to be seen by Pakistan as largely a Twenty20 striker. But, for his hometown team, in a glittering batting order, he may finally think he is home.
Game-changer: Chris Gayle has been making news for regrettable reasons recently, and he has been rightly castigated. But it has obscured that, though fading, the force remains strong with him. If he gets going in any game, it is as good as over.
Squad: Chris Gayle, Cameron Delport, Azhar Ali, Umar Akmal, Dwayne Bravo, Mohammad Rizwan, Hammad Azam, Yasir Shah, Mustafizur Rahman, Zafar Gohar, Zia ul Haq, Adnan Rasool, Naved Yasin, Zohaib Khan, Kevon Cooper, Sohaib Maqsood
Supplementary picks: Imran Butt, Ehsan Adil, Mukhtar Ahmed, Abdul Razzaq
FRANCHISE: QUETTA GLADIATORS
Owners: Omar Associates, a Karachi-based business group and long-standing promoter and organiser of local cricket
Captain: Sarfraz Ahmed, pictured
Coach: Moin Khan
Team: There is an extremely tidy look about Quetta even if you look beyond the icon pick Kevin Pietersen. Jason Holder and Luke Wright, for instance, are both shrewd selections, and all-round options. Umar Gul has faded over the last couple of years but surely remains a force in the shortest format. Most interesting to see will be how Sarfraz handles the captaincy: he is a former U19 World Cup winner as captain, and is seen in some quarters as a natural choice to take over from any of Pakistan's three captains.
Key man: It has got to be Pietersen. England may have got over him but the rest of the world has not. And in these leagues, he is still some player. A run of 12 T20 games in South Africa and Australia has seen him hit two hundreds and four fifties.
Game-changer: Luke Wright has been in and out of England's plans, but he is in an outstanding run of form currently in the format. That includes a century for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League. He does not bowl that often anymore, but at the top of the order, he will influence games.
Squad: Ahmed Shahzad, Luke Wright Kevin Pietersen, Elton Chigumbura, Sarfraz Ahmed, Saad Nasim, Akbar-ur-Rehman, Jason Holder, Anwar Ali, Zulfiqar Babar, Umar Gul, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Nabi, Bilal Asif, Asad Shafiq, Bismillah Khan
Supplementary picks: Kumar Sangakkara, Aizaz Cheema, Rameez Raja Jnr
FRANCHISE: PESHAWAR ZALMI
Owners: Haier Pakistan, a consumer electronics and home appliances company, headed in the country by Javed Afridi
Captain: Shahid Afridi, pictured
Coach: Mohammad Akram
Team: On paper, Peshawar must rank as one of the strongest teams in the league. They are well-served in their batting with the likes of Tamim Iqbal, Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez. Darren Sammy and Shahid Afridi are top-notch allround options to fall back upon and in Wahab Riaz and Junaid Khan, they have a potent pace attack. Unless Kamran Akmal has a shocker — which is never out of the question — expect them to compete and compete hard.
Key man: Can any team with Afridi in it, as captain no less, have any other key man? He was the man the franchise wanted more than anybody else. Though his form has dipped alarmingly, it did resurface against England in the UAE. And the opportunity to lead a home team will undoubtedly fire him up.
Game-changer: Darren Sammy was perhaps built for this format. He has incredible power when batting during the death; his bowling remains more than workable at this level too. To boot, he is such a naturally cheery and happy presence on the field that you cannot but help want him to do well.
Squad: Kamran Akmal, Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Hafeez, Darren Sammy, Musadiq Ahmed, Shahid Yousuf, Shahid Afridi, Chris Jordan, Wahab Riaz, Abdur Rehman, Junaid Khan, Jim Allenby, Aamer Yamin, Dawid Malan, Imran Khan Jr, Hasan Ali
Supplementary picks: Mohammad Asghar, Brad Hodge, Israrullah, Taj Wali