Several talented young cricketers have been launched from the platform of the Pakistan Super League over the years, where playing against national and international stars helps them improve their skills.

Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, Haider Ali, and Mohammad Haris are examples of players who rose to fame in the PSL and went on to perform well internationally.

In the upcoming 2023 PSL, six new players are eager to showcase their skills, including Multan Sultans’ Arafat Minhas, Karachi Kings’ Muhammad Irfan Khan, Peshawar Zalmi’s Haseebullah, Lahore Qalandars’ Shawaiz Irfan, Quetta Gladiators’ Aimal Khan, and Islamabad United’s Hassan Nawaz. All six players, except for Arafat who was selected in the supplementary round, were picked in the emerging category for their teams.

These young players are excited to establish their credibility as the tournament begins on February 13th with the first match between Multan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars.

Arafat Minhas – Multan Sultans

Arafat Minhas is a young cricketer from Multan who has had a successful run in Pakistan U19 vs Bangladesh U19 series in November 2022, where he won player of the series award with 171 runs and 3 wickets. He has been attached to the Pakistan Test squad for a test match against New Zealand in December 2022 to gain international exposure and experience. He is excited to represent his birth city of Multan in PSL and is eager to learn from the biggest stars in the game, including David Miller. He cites Rilee Rossouw’s hundred in Multan against Quetta Gladiators in PSL 2020 as his favorite memory of the league.

Muhammad Irfan Khan – Karachi Kings

Muhammad Irfan Khan is a 20-year-old middle-order batter from Pakistan who has represented his country in two U19 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups. He recently performed well in the National T20 Cup tournament and is excited to be selected for the PSL for the first time. He hopes to perform well in the tournament and gain recognition for potential selection in the national team. In Karachi Kings, Irfan will have the opportunity to learn from his cricketing idol, Shoaib Malik, who is also a middle-order batter. He cites Daren Sammy’s heroics for Peshawar Zalmi in the 2018 PSL as a memorable moment.

Haseebullah – Peshawar Zalmi

Haseebullah Khan is a talented cricketer from Pishin who has made a name for himself in the domestic circuit. He was the leading run-scorer in the Pakistan Cup 2021-22 and also won the best wicketkeeper award with his 551 runs and 10 dismissals. This is his first season in the PSL and he is proud to be a part of the Peshawar Zalmi team, where he will get the chance to play with players like Babar Azam and Haris Sohail. He aims to become the first Test cricketer from Balochistan and wants to make the most of this opportunity. He still remembers the Qualifier match between Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi in 2017, where Mohammad Nawaz successfully defended seven runs in the last over.

Shawaiz Irfan – Lahore Qalandars

Shawaiz Irfan, a talented cricketer from the Pakistan Junior League, has made a name for himself with his aggressive batting style. He was part of the winning side, Bahawalpur Royals, and smashed a 32-ball 79 with six sixes in the final of the competition. His impressive performance earned him a spot on the Pakistan U19 team for a series against Bangladesh U19. Irfan is now excited to be part of the Lahore Qalandars in the PSL and is looking forward to sharing the dressing room with experienced players like Rashid Khan, Sikandar Raza, Shaheen Afridi, and Haris Rauf. Irfan’s favourite PSL moment was when he watched the Lahore Qalandars vs Multan Sultans final live at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Aimal Khan – Quetta Gladiators

Aimal Khan is a young right-arm pacer who made an impact in the Pakistan Junior League with a match-winning spell of 3-15. He generates steep pace and sharp swing with the new ball. He is honored to play in the PSL for the first time and be associated with Quetta Gladiators. He is looking forward to interacting with Naseem Shah and using the tips he receives from him to challenge the opposition batsmen in the tournament. A thrilling moment he remembers from PSL is Shaheen Afridi’s 23-run performance in the last over of a chase against Peshawar Zalmi in PSL 2022, taking the game to the Super Over.

Hassan Nawaz – Islamabad United

Hassan Nawaz is a talented batsman from Layyah who has shown his six-hitting ability in the Kashmir Premier League and National T20 Cup. He is now excited to join his favorite team, Islamabad United, in the PSL and learn from power-hitters like Asif Ali and Colin Munro. He considers Asif Ali’s three consecutive sixes in the 2018 PSL final as a special moment in the tournament’s history.