Malan to 'miss' Pakistani players in T10 league

England and Qalandars star Dawid Malan on Saturday said that he would miss Pakistani players in the T10 that started on Friday in the UAE.

Pakistan players had featured heavily over the first two seasons of the 10-overs-a-side league and as many as 16 were set to participate in the 2019 edition as well before the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) suddenly decided to revoke the No Objection Certificates (NOCs) it had issued.

Later, the board had also set up a national training camp — despite a bulk of its players away on national duty or other T20 assignment — to coincide with the T10 league, perhaps to grant some legitimacy to its revocation of the NOCs.

Malan, a regular in the Pakistan Super League, told Geo News that he would feel the absence of his Pakistani peers.

“We will miss Pakistani cricketers,” said the England star who is captaining Qalandars in the T10 league. “Players such as Shahid Afridi and Imad Wasim are some of the best cricketers in this format and conditions. Their absence is a major loss.”

Malan expressed his disappointment on the fact that “the format’s best players were denied NOCs.”

While so far he has represented Zalmi in the PSL, Malan, says it would be an honour for him to represent Lahore Qalandars in PSL 2020.

“I will be happy to be a part of the PSL. It will also be good for my cricket. Lahore Qalandars is a good franchise with a friendly atmosphere and I would be honoured if they pick me for PSL.”

Malan, who was one of the few foreign players who agreed to travel to Pakistan for the PSL final in 2017, admits that security always remains a concern for foreign players but says the PCB’s arrangements have been spot on, and hoped that they will remains so at future PSL events too.