Clearly the team to watch with interest in this tournament but can they live up to the hype

By PakPassion.net Staff (2nd February, 2016)

Full squad: Shoaib Malik, Shakib ul Hasan (BAN), Sohail Tanvir, Imad Wasim, Ravi Bopara (ENG), Lendl Simmons (WI), Mohammad Aamir, Bilawal Bhatti, James Vince (ENG), Iftikhar Ahmad, Nauman Anwar, Mushfiqur Rahim (BAN), Usama Mir, Sohail Khan, Mir Hamza, Saifullah Bangash

Supplementary: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Shahzaib Hassan, Fawad Alam

Captain: Shoaib Malik

Coaching staff: South Africa's Mickey Arthur (Head Coach), Pakistan's Mushtaq Ahmed (Assistant Coach/Bowling Coach), Pakistan's Yaseen Malik (Fitness Trainer)

The Kings of Karachi enter the inaugural Pakistan Super League amongst the favourites largely due to their number of match-winners and the fact that they have an extremely well-balanced squad.

Collectively the squad has a nice blend of youth and experience led by the vastly experienced Shoaib Malik who has previously captained the Sialkot Stallions to domestic success in twenty-over tournaments. Malik is someone who knows what it takes to get the best out of teammates in domestic cricket and his leadership could be the difference between Karachi Kings and their rivals.

The first thing that strikes you about the Karachi squad is the abundance of all-rounders such as Shoaib Malik, Shakib Al Hasan, Ravi Bopara, Imad Wasim and Tillakaratne Dilshan. Any one of these all-rounders has the ability to win you a twenty over match with either bat or ball. The only problem with all of these all-rounders could be how to fit them all into the starting eleven. Conditions in the UAE will certainly help all of these all-rounders particularly the spinners.

Add to the all-rounders, the pace bowling resources of the returning and in-form Mohammad Amir, the experienced Sohail Tanvir, the wicket-taking ability of Sohail Khan and Bilawal Bhatti and the exciting young talent of Mir Hamza and you have a pace attack that will not let the opposition have it all their own way. Another bowler to look out for at the Pakistan Super League for Karachi could be Usama Mir, the highly rated young leg-spinner who has impressed in domestic tournaments in Pakistan. Wickets will not be a problem, stemming the flow of runs might be especially if early wickets are not taken by the likes of Mohammad Amir and Sohail Tanvir.

The top order batting for Karachi has an air of all or nothing. Lendl Simmons, Nauman Anwar and Shahzaib Hasan give you the feeling that this team could be 15 for 3 from 5 overs or 70 for 0 from 5 overs. With James Vince and Fawad Alam also in the mix, runs should not be a problem. 

The coaching staff at the Pakistan Super League have a big role to play and the combination of Mickey Arthur and Mushtaq Ahmed could be an excellent partnership in getting the best out of the overseas and local talent.

The Karachi Kings lack an overseas megastar like Kevin Pietersen or Chris Gayle but that could work in their favour as a collective unit without any superstars could ultimately be the team that lifts the Pakistan Super League. 

Come the end of the Pakistan Super League, if the Karachi boys play to their potential they could be Kings by name and Kings by nature.

Key man: Shoaib Malik

Player to watch out for: Usama Mir

Discuss!