5 delicious duels we will see in the PSL

The preparations for the inaugural season of the PSL (Pakistan Super League) are in full blow with the first session of the players draft taking place today. The line-ups for each of the five franchises have quite an explosive look to them already and things will only get better once the draft gets over tomorrow.Most of the big names featuring in the tournament have already made their way into one of the 5 teams. This sets us up for some interesting duels which are likely to be in the offing once the PSL finally gets underway in February next year.Let’s take a look at five most interesting duels lined up for very first edition of the PSL:

#5 Tamim Iqbal - Shakib Al Hasan

The PSL has pitted Shakib and Tamim against each other

The two stalwarts of Bangladesh cricket, Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal, will be playing for two different teams in the inaugural edition of the Pakistan Super League. In the players draft for the tournament, Tamim has been picked up by Peshawar Zalmi whereas Karachi Kings have grabbed Shakib.

A duel between them is likely to be one of the most highly anticipated ones in the PSL. It will be interesting to see who will emerge victorious as both these players are equally talented and have done a lot of great deeds for their national team.

#4 Mohammad Hafeez - Mohammad Amir

Mohammad Hafeez has been quite vocal about his feelings for Amir

Tainted Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Amir made a much publicized return to cricket after serving out a five-year ban. While he has received a lot of support from the cricketing fraternity, some like Mohammad Hafeez cannot seem to get over his actions from the past. Hafeez recently claimed to have turned down a lucrative offer from a BPL franchise due to Amir being part of it.

With Hafeez and Amir both playing in the PSL for Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings respectively, things are bound to get heated up when the two come face-to-face. Whenever it happens, the duel between the two Pakistanis will be worth looking forward to.

#3 Wahab Riaz - Shane Watson

Shane Watson and Wahab Riaz gave us a great World Cup memory this year

One of the most memorable moments of the 2015 ICC World Cup was the duel between Wahab Riaz and Shane Watson in the Australia-Pakistan quarter final at Adelaide. Riaz bowled a fiery spell which included a lot of verbals for Watson as well but the latter managed to see it through as Australia marched to the semis.

A ‘Riaz-Watson version 2.0’ may be on the cards in the PSL too as both have landed up in rival camps. While Watson will be seen in the Islamabad United roster, Wahab Riaz will play for Peshawar Zalmi. This is one duel from the PSL which may not be good for the faint-hearted.

#2 Shahid Afridi - Misbah-ul-Haq

The two icons of Pakistan cricket will be in rival camps at the PSL

Pakistan cricket in the past decade or so has centered around two players, Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq. They are perhaps the only two cricketers who have survived the multiple storms which have hit Pakistani cricket and come out stronger.

However, the time has come that they must put aside their camaraderie and engage in battle with each other at least for the month of February next year when the PSL takes place. This is because they have been roped in by different franchises in the league, Afridi by Peshawar Zalmi and Misbah by Islamabad United.

The Afridi-Misbah duel will surely be one to look forward to when Peshawar take on Islamabad.

#1 Chris Gayle - Kevin Pietersen

Chris Gayle and Kevin Pietersen are the most sought after T20 players in the world

IPL, BBL, CPL, BPL....You name the league and these 2 giants of T20 cricket have played it. Come the PSL and both Chris Gayle and Kevin Pietersen will be seen in action once again. As expected, they will be part of two different franchises – Gayle in Lahore Qalandars and Pietersen in Quetta Gladiators.

Going by their exploits in the past few years, they are likely to be the two most dominant batsmen in the PSL and fans will look forward to their epic confrontation when Lahore and Quetta take each other on. The duel will also be on between the two in the rest of the tournament as they try to compete for the most runs and the most sixes in the league.