The 2025 Pakistan Super League is set to begin on April 11. Here are five uncapped players to watch out for this season.
Saad Masood (Islamabad Utd)
Islamabad United's star all-rounder is captain Shadab Khan, who has made a name for himself in the PSL as a genuine leg spin bowling all-rounder. One of their two Emerging category draft picks, Saad Masood, could be in a similar mould.
Masood has played one PSL match, debuting at the age of 18 for Peshawar Zalmi in 2023. He had a tough initiation, as Abdullah Shafique and Fakhar Zaman tore into him for 40 runs in three overs.
He impressed at the inaugural Champions T20 Cup last year for Markhors, batting in the lower order and scoring 157 runs at 39 and a strike rate of 147. His work with the ball did leave a bit to be desired, but at 20, there is enough time for him to improve on his control.
Ali Raza (Peshawar Zalmi)
Still only 17 years old, Raza is one of Pakistan's most exciting fast-bowling prospects. No wonder, then, that Ian Bishop is a big fan of his. At last year's U19 World Cup, he picked up nine wickets in just three games, conceding under 3.5 an over and starring with 4-34 in the semi-final.
Since then, Raza has impressed mainly in first-class cricket, picking up 32 wickets in six matches, averaging 20.5 and even registering a 10-wicket match haul. He has played just six T20s so far, but with a solid rooting in the longest format, he should be able to figure out the shortest format sooner rather than later.
Muhammad Shahzad (Islamabad Utd)
Last month, Pakistan international Saud Shakeel made headlines for being timed out in the President's Trophy final. On either side of that strange dismissal, however, there was a hat-trick for 21-year-old quick Shahzad. He went on to take 5-29 in that innings, and 0-33 in the second as his side, Pakistan TV, won the tournament.
Fast-bowling all-rounders are rare, especially in the subcontinent, but across that tournament, Shahzad showed he could be the next big thing. He was the third-highest run-scorer with 706 runs at 54.3, and even picked up 20 wickets in nine matches, at 22.5. Initially undrafted this season, ISLU roped in Shahzad as a Supplementary pick on March 17.
Shahzad is relatively untested in T20 cricket, with just 15 matches under his belt (and none in the PSL). He has played mainly as a batter, averaging 22.5 and striking at 117.7, but has shown glimpses of white-ball bowling potential as well, with a standout spell of 5-7 in 6.4 overs against PNG at the U19 World Cup in 2022.
Maaz Sadaqat (Peshawar Zalmi)
Still only 19 years old, top-order batter Maaz began playing U19 cricket at the age of 14, and has only played senior cricket since he turned 17. He had a poor campaign at the 2022 U19 World Cup, with just 46 runs in six matches, but has firmly established himself in first-class cricket, averaging nearly 40 from 21 matches so far.
Maaz has shown promise in the shortest format as well, averaging 29.6 and striking at 131.3 from 16 matches. Sadaqat finished as the fifth-highest run-scorer in the Champions T20 Cup, the standout knock being a blistering 82 off 53 against Markhors from the top of the order.
Sadaqat also bowls some part-time left-arm spin. In case Saim Ayub misses the start of the season with injury, or suffers an issue later on in the campaign, Sadaqat looks more than able to step in.
Mohammad Zeeshan (Quetta Gladiators)
Like Ali Raza, Mohammad Zeeshan was also part of Pakistan's U19 World Cup squad last year. He was less successful, with six wickets in five matches, but at a massive 6'8", at the age of 19, is an imposing presence at the bowling crease.
He had caught the eye just before the U19 World Cup, with a spell of 6-19 against Nepal at the U19 Asia Cup with his ability to hit the deck hard, aided by his height, proving too hot to handle. Zeeshan also starred in the only season of the Pakistan Junior League, finishing as the top wicket-taker, and taking 3-27 in the final to lead Bahawalpur Royals to victory.
Zeeshan played three PSL matches for Peshawar Zalmi last year, and ended up conceding more than 10 an over. With another year of experience and a promising start to first-class cricket (12 wickets in three games) under his belt, he could take a step up for Quetta Gladiators, if given the chance.
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