Image Credit- AP
Prior to their PSL 2024 opener, the Karachi Kings have
been struck a double whammy when they found out that two of their foreign
players are not fully available. The South African wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi
will miss the second half of the competition, and Jamie Overton, an English
all-rounder, has been ruled out of the season.
Players have only received temporary NOCs from CSA
because they must return home for the domestic T20, which begins on March 8.
Shamsi, an important member of South Africa’s limited-overs teams, will leave
the PSL on March 6 in order to return home to play in the local T20 league, per
the board’s directive.
Karachi Kings, who had thought Shamsi would be
available for the entire tournament, are now trying to find a late substitute
due to the player’s partial absence.
Shamsi won’t be available for the tournament’s final
stretch, but he is anticipated to play for the Kings in their first six games
of the season, which begin on Sunday against Multan Sultans. It is a major
setback for the Kings, who also have Mohammad Nawaz, Arafat Minhas, and Shoaib
Malik in their spin unit and are considering a partial replacement for Shamsi.
Rassie van der Dussen of Lahore Qalandars will also be
impacted by South Africa’s demand that players under central contracts be
available for the domestic season. Like Shamsi, Van der Dussen will miss the
most of the second half of the season as he must return home on March 6.
Surrey, Overton’s home county, has withdrawn his nod
of approval from the PSL in order to make sure he is well-prepared for the
April 5 start of the County Championship season. He has spent the winter
playing T20 cricket with Adelaide Strikers in the BBL and Gulf Giants in the
ILT20, and had a minor shoulder injury during the ILT20.
The already thin international player pool for this
year’s PSL has been further diminished by these most recent withdrawals. Rashid
Khan of the Lahore Qalandars withdrew from the team last month while he healed
from a back operation, hoping to be ready for the April IPL.
The PSL begins in Lahore on February 17 and concludes
in Karachi on March 18.