ADAM OLIVER picks out a selection of the players to watch ahead of the start of the Pakistan Super League
One of the most exciting players in The Hundred last summer, Smeed scored 166 runs and formed part of a formidable Birmingham Phoenix top three alongside Finn Allen and Liam Livingstone.
The 20-year-old arrives - likely only on a short-term basis as a replacement for England's James Vince - with a strike-rate just shy of 140 and a growing reputation as one of the most impressive youngsters in the game.
Still only 18 years of age, Naseem has already taken the cricket world by storm. He was just 16 when he picked up his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket, making him the second-youngest man to do so.
He already has 97 professional wickets to his name across formats, including 20 at Test level – some effort for a fast-bowling starlet who will only turn 19 during the PSL.
Another Pakistani quick coming through the system. The 23-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2021, claiming 20 wickets during Multan Sultans' triumphant run and earning an opportunity at international level in the process.
He made his debut for Pakistan last November in Bangladesh and has since won a second T20I cap on home soil against West Indies. He arrives in this year's tournament with far more expectation on him.
Rashid Khan is back at Lahore Qalandars for a second season (Asif Hassan/AFP via Getty Images)
On the back of a successful stint in the Big Bash with Melbourne Stars, which culminated with a spot in the official team of the season, there is an increasing belief that the Nottinghamshire man's opportunity at international level cannot be far away.
He missed out to Harry Brook when England called up the Yorkshire batter for their T20I tour of the Caribbean, but Clarke told The Cricketer last year how much he benefited from his stint with Karachi in 2021, learning to live with the burden of being an overseas pro.
The South African fast bowler impressed through the English summer, notably in The Hundred with Trent Rockets. He claimed 12 wickets in the competition – the same number as Rashid Khan, Adil Rashid and Adam Milne.
Regularly clocking speeds in excess of 90mph, he has a searing yorker and a dangerous bouncer in his armoury. As his broad frame suggests, he hits a long ball too.
With a strike rate of 144.84 in all T20 cricket, there is rarely a dull moment when Khan is around. A stand-and-deliver attitude to batting makes every ball an event, and he deals mostly in boundaries.
The son of Moin Khan, he has struggled to take the PSL by storm in the last two years but a move to Islamabad United from Quetta Gladiators might be just what he needs, especially after being culled from Pakistan's T20 World Cup party late-on.
Will Smeed has a burgeoning reputation on the back of his performances for Somerset and Birmingham Phoenix (Harry Trump/Getty Images)
Left out of the T20I squad to face England for failing a fitness test, Hetmyer will be looking to put things right after being picked up by Quetta as a partial replacement for Jason Roy, who will miss the start of the competition while playing in the series that Hetmyer ought to be lighting up, but for the issues noted above.
Only 25, a career that appears to be stuttering still has a long way to go, given the extent of his obvious talent.
The Irishman has long been one of the top T20 cricketers in the world, only to have had to wait until the last couple of years for his franchise opportunities.
He made a half century in his second PSL innings for Islamabad United last year after replacing Chris Jordan, who was called away on England duty in India, and impressed sufficiently to earn a squad berth this time around.
The first name on everyone's lips ahead of any T20 tournament. The Afghan leg-spinner is a prize asset to any franchise, even if he is still searching for his first piece of major silverware.
At the age of just 23, he already has 414 wickets in the shortest format and is already arguably the leading player in T20 history. He is turning out for Lahore Qalandars for a second consecutive year, joining up once Afghanistan's series against the Netherlands draws to a conclusion.
Welcome to www.thecricketer.com - the online home of the world’s oldest cricket magazine. Breaking news, interviews, opinion and cricket goodness from every corner of our beautiful sport, from village green to national arena.