PSL 2023 captains: During the next eighth season, which begins in Multan tomorrow, the Pakistan Super League will keep up its tradition of elevating native captains.
The only three foreign cricketers to have played at least 10 PSL matches as captain historically are former West Indies captain Daren Sammy (Peshawar Zalmi), former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum (Lahore Qalandars), and former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara (Karachi Kings).
All other PSL championships, aside from those won by these three former cricketers, primarily belong to Pakistani players. Readers should be aware that although former South African all-rounder Jean-Paul Duminy had led Islamabad United to victory in the tournament’s third season, he had only done so in a few games (both knockout fixtures).
This competition is one of the few T20 leagues that hasn’t permitted a single team to win successive championships, since only one team has won the PSL twice while all others have done it once each.
Lahore Qalandars – Shaheen Shah Afridi
In PSL 2022, Pakistani fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi took the reins of the Lahore Qalandars. After helping them win their first championship, Afridi made a substantial contribution as a bowler as well, taking 20 wickets in 13 games to become the season’s leading wicket-taker.
Multan Sultans – Mohammad Rizwan
Mohammad Rizwan, the vice-captain of Pakistan in the Test and ODI series, lost the chance to become the first captain to win two consecutive PSL championships last year. Rizwan has led Multan Sultans to the final the previous season after guiding them to victory in 2021.
In his 24 matches as captain, Rizwan has won 17, lost 7, and hasn’t let the added responsibility hinder his performance as a hitter. He has 1,046 runs at an average of 55.05.
Peshawar Zalmi – Babar Azam
It is quite unexpected that Babar Azam, the all-format captain for Pakistan, has only led his team in 11 PSL games over the course of three seasons, let alone in winning the championship.
Azam used to play for Karachi Kings under Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim. He also has a horrible track record as a captain in the PSL, having led the team to just one victory. Azam, who is prepared to play for Peshawar Zalmi in PSL 8, would be looking for a change in the captaincy situation.
Karachi Kings – Imad Wasim
Wasim is ranked second among cricketers who have participated in the most PSL games as captain, despite the fact that he hasn’t played for Pakistan since the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Wasim, who participated in PSL 2022 under Azam’s leadership, has been given the captaincy at Kings once more.
Wasim, 34, who has served as captain for 41 PSL games over four seasons, will be eager to make his mark as a player and captain in order to make a case for a comeback for the country.
Gladiators' @SarfarazA_54 talks about PSL8, shares his thoughts on @TeamQuetta strength this year, and emerging talent of the league.pic.twitter.com/qQoLKEhgkM
— Faizan Lakhani (@faizanlakhani) February 11, 2023
Former Pakistani captain Sarfaraz Ahmed is far ahead of all other captains in the competition and is the only cricketer to have held the lead from the PSL’s initial season. Ahmed, 35, has a stellar track record as a leader after guiding the Quetta Gladiators to 36 victories in 72 games over the years.
Islamabad United – Shadab Khan
Shadab Khan, the vice-captain of the Pakistan T20I team, has developed into a successful PSL captain but has yet to claim a championship. Over the course of four seasons, Islamabad United has won 17 games and lost 15. Khan is one of few cricketers who has avoided letting his leadership influence his personal success. In this scenario, the same player has really further grown into a deadly all-rounder.
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