Mustafiz looks forward to PSL

A new front opens for young pace blower Mustafizur Rahman as he was taken by Lahore Qualandars for the first edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Two other Bangladeshi cricketers were also roped in as Karachi Kings included all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal was drafted into Peshwar Zalmi. Shakib was placed in the Platinum group which is the topmost category for the draft, whereas Tamim and Mustafizur both were placed in the Gold category. A fee of USD $140,000 has been determined for each Platinum player barring the five Icons, each of whom will be paid USD $200,000 while the fees for players in the Gold and Silver category were fixed at $50,000 and $25,000 respectively. Playing on a foreign scale is nothing new for Shakib who has become a much loved cricketer the world over or for Tamim as the left handed opener played in various tournaments such as in CPL, SLPL and domestic T20 competitions in England and New Zealand but in Mustafizur's case, this will be his debut. “I am excited, I want to play cricket all over the world so that I can gain more experience and exposure.  But I will only play my first T20 league abroad if the board (Bangladesh Cricket Board) allow me to play in PSL,” said Mustafizur, who was recently included in the ICC's ODI team of the year, in his reaction over the telephone last night.

If Mustafizur, who bamboozled the dashing West Indies left-hander with his canny cutter during the recent BPL, attends the tournament, it will mean sharing the dressing room with West Indies big-hitter Chris Gayle

“It would be fantastic. I had a dream of taking his wicket and it was fulfilled and it's now in the past and I am now looking forward to gain more experience playing against the world's big batsmen,” he stated.

The draft on Monday saw Shahid Afridi (Peshawar Zalmi), Shoaib Malik (Karachi), Shane Watson (Islamabad United), Kevin Pietersen (Quetta Gladiators) and Chris Gayle (Lahore Qalandars) all bagged by their respective teams in the first round as Platinum players.

Mushfiqur Rahim, Soumya Sarkar and Shahriar Nafees, who were also in the Gold category, remained unsold on the first day while Mahmudullah Riyad, Anamul Haque, Mominul Haque and Imrul Kayes who are placed in the Silver category, will know their fate today.

After years of planning the Pakistan Cricket Board is finally ready to launch their domestic Twenty20 competition which is scheduled to run from February 4 to 25 in the United Arab Emirates.