Sanjay Manjrekar and Tom Moody pick Pakistani players who could do well in the IPL

Pakistani cricketers took part in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) back in 2008 but were banned from the competition due to political tensions between their country and India. In the first season, names such as Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul and Kamran Akmal entered the competition, and fans have always wondered what modern stars would find lucrative contracts in an “ideal world”. Former cricketers Tom Moody and Sanjay Manjrekar were asked about their picks and gave some interesting answers.

“Shaheen Afridi, Babar Azam, Rizvan and Shadab Khan. They have a number of amazing players, especially in this game format. Shaheen would be your No. 1 pick, he would be a top-grossing player,” former Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Moody told ESPNcricinfo.

Shaheen has been backed by many experts in the past to become a top attraction should he ever appear in an IPL auction. He is the star of the Pakistan Super League along with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan who were also franchise captains in the T20 league.

Manjrekar is now going with one of the best cricketers in the Pakistan national team.

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

“Rizwan plays the role of host. Sometimes I get worried when Babar and Rizwan fight together,” he added.