IPL 2023: Sanjay Manjrekar And Tom Moody Name Pakistan Players Who Would Have Been Picked In IPL

Last Update on: June 3rd, 2023 at 03:06 pm

Famous cricket analysts and ex-players Tom Moody and Sanjay Manjrekar recently expressed their thoughts on Pakistani players they feel would have been chosen for the Indian Premier League (IPL) if they were eligible to play.

Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, in Moody’s opinion, would be the first choice for any squad. In the T20 Blast 2023, Shaheen is presently playing for Nottinghamshire Outlaws.

During the first season of the IPL in 2008, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) roster included Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, and Sohail Tanvir.

Other Pakistani cricketers who participated in that season included Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Hafeez, Salman Butt, and Shahid Afridi. But since 2009, Pakistani athletes have not competed in the IPL because of political unrest between the neighbouring nations.

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Moody, who served as the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) team’s head coach, also supported Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shadab Khan in their pursuit of lucrative IPL contracts.

“Shaheen Afridi, Babar Azam, Rizwan, and Shadab Khan. They have got a number of terrific players, particularly in this format of the game. Shaheen would be your No.1 pick, he would be box office,” Moody was quoted as saying to ESPNcricinfo.

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“IPL teams should also look for Haris Rauf “- Sanjay Manjrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar, a well-known cricket pundit and ex-player, said that IPL teams hunt for Haris Rauf’s death bowling talents. The veteran also stated that Fakhar Zaman may be an asset to a few organizations.

“One of the best death bowlers, Haris Rauf, I think about their bowlers more than their batters. But Fakhar Zaman would be an interesting choice in certain teams,” Sanjay Manjrekar said.

Furthermore, Manjrekar stated that Rizwan is someone who may serve as an anchor in any team.

“Rizwan is somebody who plays the anchor’s role. Sometimes, I tend to get worried when Babar and Rizwan bat together,” Sanjay Manjrekar added.

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Pakistan players haven’t participated in IPL since the inaugural edition of the tournament.