IPL 2018: 5 Pakistan players who deserved a chance this time

The Indian Premier League is a picture-perfect amalgamation of cricketing talent from all around the globe, including stalwarts of the game as well as young talent. However, the one thing that remains missing from the high-profile league is the presence of Pakistani players in the competition.

Worsening political ties between India and Pakistan since the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 have translated into an invisible barrier that has prevented any Pakistan player from taking part in the IPL.

However, in recent times, there have been heart-warming gestures in the Pakistan Super League, where fans have held up posters asking Indian cricketing superstars like Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni to take part in the PSL, proving that the game is above and beyond political turmoil.

So if we were to hypothetically consider the scenario of Pakistani players having been allowed to play in the IPL, which 5 of the current crop of players from our neighbouring country would have been the top picks for the teams?

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#5 Babar Azam

Babar Azam opens the batting for Pakistan in T20 Cricket

The 23-year old right-handed batsman has had a meteoric rise in the ranks of the Pakistan T20 team. As an opener for his national side, Azam has impressed continually, with 691 runs in just 19 T20Is. His recent stint in the Pakistan Super League saw him end the tournament as the third highest run-scorer with 402 runs in 12 games at a strike rate of 122.18.

The 2nd T20I against West Indies in Karachi on April 2 saw Azam attain new heights as he smashed 97 runs off just 58 balls, to guide his team to a mammoth total 205-3 and an eventual 143-run victory. The youngster is currently placed at number 3 on the ICC T20 Rankings.

Babar Azam would have been a near-perfect solution for the Sunrisers Hyderabad side, who will be missing out on the services of their regular explosive batsman, David Warner this time. Azam, who is known for his batting heroics, could have easily stepped in as the SRH opener and taken on the best of opposition bowling, including the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal, Kagiso Rabada and Pat Cummins.

#4 Hasan Ali

Hasan Ali has been a terrific pacer for Pakistan in recent times

Another rising young star of the Men in Green is the feisty Hasan Ali. The 24-year old is the perfect T20 player, considering he can bowl at a tremendous pace without faltering in his accuracy and also hit the big shots with the willow down the order. Credited as the key to Pakistan's victory in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, Ali has 21 wickets in 16 T20Is to his name.

Hasan Ali also broke the legendary Waqar Younis' records to become the fastest Pakistani to take 50 ODI wickets, taking up just 24 games to reach the record. The 2018 edition of the Pakistan Super League saw him take 12 wickets in 9 games with best figures of 3/22 for the Peshawar Zalmi side.

Hasan Ali could very well have fit into the Royal Challengers Bangalore side, which is being considered to be a little lacking in bowling firepower. His presence would give RCB that extra bit of oomph over the other sides and it would have been a real treat to watch seasoned batsmen like MS Dhoni and Chris Gayle face his pace!

#3 Fakhar Zaman

Fakhar Zaman opens the batting for Pakistan in T20s

Companion to Babar Azam in shouldering the opening duties for Pakistan T20 side, Fakhar Zaman has been a gem of a find for the side. His prowess in the shortest format of the game was well-established in the ICC Champions Trophy, 2017 finals, where he slammed a delectable inning worth 114 runs to lead his side to a historic victory over India.

Zaman's PSL performances are enough proof of how good he can be in the limited-overs T20 leagues, thus making him one of the most suitable Pakistani players for the IPL. Playing for Lahore Qalandars in PSL 2018, the 27-year old made 277 runs in 10 matches, aided by a well-made half-century.

A team in dire need of a sound batsman in the Rajasthan Royals, which will have to deal with the absence of Steve Smith in the 2018 edition of the IPL. Zaman, whose batting figures speak volumes of his batting credibility, would have been able to serve as a worthy replacement for Smith and thereby, strengthen RR's top-order batting.

#2 Mohammad Amir

Mohammad Amir in ICC Champions Trophy Final against India

Very few comeback stories are as inspiring as that of Mohammad Amir. Having been banned for five years by the ICC n 2010 for a spot-fixing scandal, a resolute Amir made a comeback in international Cricket in 2016 and how! The talented pacer has gone from strength to strength since then and today, he holds the 27th rank in ICC T20 Bowler Rankings.

The 25-year old has impressive T20 figures with 46 wickets in 37 T20Is with an economy of 6.7 and equally impressive figures in ODIs, with 57 dismissals in 40 ODIs at an average of 29.0. Thus, the presence of a quality fast bowler like Amir in any IPL side is bound to up the ante in the tournament.

The Kolkata Knight Riders are bound to rue the absence of their star pacer, Mitchell Starc in the side, who has been ruled out of the IPL 2018 due to a tibial bone stress in his right leg. Had KKR been able to draft in Mohammad Amir into their Playing XI, the head-on clash between Amir and RCB skipper, Virat Kohli would have been a spectacle to watch out for!

#1 Shoaib Malik

Shoaib Malik is often fondly known as the 'Son-in-law of India'

Married to Indian Tennis star, Sania Mirza, Shoaib Malik has more than one connection with the country. For starters, he is one of the 11 Pakistani players to have played in IPL 2008 where he was a part of the Delhi Daredevils franchise. Malik has formerly served as the captain of the Pakistan national side and has participated in major international T20 leagues such as the Big Bash League, Caribbean Premier League and the Bangladesh Premier League.

Batting all-rounders are of great worth in a tournament such as the IPL and this makes Malik fit the bill aptly. Armed with a T20 batting average of 30.24 and a healthy strike rate of 119.4, Malik's recent outing against the Windies in the 1st T20 of the ongoing bilateral series witnessed him score an unbeaten knock worth 37 runs, that helped Pakistan towards victory.

With the Mumbai Indians side looking slightly bleak in their spin department, the presence of Malik as an off-break option, while having his prolific batting skills simultaneously on offer, would come in extremely handy for the MI boys. An exciting face-off to look out for would definitely be when Malik would take on expert opposition bowlers like Sunil Narine and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.