DUBAI // Three UAE players have been entered into the draft for the 2017 Pakistan Super League.
Ahmed Raza, Rohan Mustafa and Mohammed Naveed have been listed as silver category recruits for the competition, which is pencilled in to take place in the UAE again in February. The selection process is set to take place in Dubai on October 17 and 18.
The trio of national team players still have their work cut out to be selected by any of the five franchises.
They are listed amongst a band of players that includes the likes of Ben Duckett, the exciting new England batsman, Sami Aslam, the Pakistan Test opener, and Saeed Ajmal.
If any of them were to be picked, they would be the first from the UAE to earn a deal in one of the world’s leading Twenty20 leagues.
One UAE player, the batsman Shaiman Anwar, made it onto the draft for this year’s first PSL, but he went unsold.
“To be in the draft for a big T20 for the first time is quite something, but I think it will be about luck now to be picked in the final auction,” said Raza, the left-arm spinner.
“If people follow UAE cricket, maybe we do stand a chance somewhere, but the fact we are from here might count against us as we are competing against big-name players.
“They are well known because their series, wherever they play, are televised. For us, we have a maximum of one event per year where we can showcase our skills. That is one per cent of what they play.
“That is the reason we don’t play in the T20 leagues, or even make the draft more often than not. But at least it is a good sign we are there.”
Naveed, the fast bowler, had been thought to be certain of a place at Lahore Qalandars, after Aaqib Javed left his role as UAE head coach to become director of the PSL franchise.
Aaqib spoke in glowing terms about his protege, during and after his time in charge here.
Naveed, the leader of the UAE pace attack, said Aaqib suggested he would be back to recruit him, but fears interest has cooled.
Aaqib has since undertaken a massive-scale talent hunt, which he says took in as many as 110,000 trialists. Most famously, he has picked up an ambidextrous fast bowler, named Yasir Jan. Brendon McCullum has also been announced as the new Qalandars captain.
As such, the likelihood of there being space in the 20-man squad for Naveed, who is relatively untested at the top level, despite strong performances at the World Cup last year and the Asia Cup T20 in March, seem increasingly remote.
“My name is in the draft, but I don’t know if I will be selected or not,” Naveed said. “It is very difficult, but my performances have been good, so I am hoping.”
pradley@thenational.ae
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