Draft for remaining PSL 2021 matches to take place next week

The draft for the remaining matches of the sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is set to take place next week, where the franchises will be provided a list of available players, sources said Saturday.

According to sources, all of the top players are no longer available, while those who were willing to partake in the tournament cannot commit to all the remaining matches.

England cricketers who played in the early matches of the PSL are no longer available to play, whereas available players from Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa are not among the top-ranked lot. On the other hand, cricketers from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and the West Indies, are available for participation.

Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, and New Zealand's Martin Guptill will be a part of the remaining fixtures, among the 130 foreign players included in the draft list, sources said.

The unavailability of experienced foreign players in Platinum and Diamond has made it difficult for franchises to form strong combinations as some of the cricketers who played in the early PSL matches are now busy in the Indian Premier League.

The remaining matches of the tournament are scheduled to be played in Karachi from June 1 to 20, with players undergoing a week's quarantine starting May 22, sources added.

The sixth edition of the tournament was postponed on March 4 due to rising COVID-19 cases among the players and officials involved, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had said at the time.