Unlike Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) first edition when it was venturing into uncharted territory, the franchises have got their preparations well under way, making it difficult to predict the ultimate winners this time.

The leadership of three franchises who were not there in last year’s final, has changed hands for tactical reasons.

Darren Sammy, the West Indies captain of both World Twenty20 champion outfits in 2012 and 2016, has taken over from Shahid Afridi at Peshawar Zalmi; the retired Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara replaces Shoaib Malik as the Karachi Kings captain, while the big-spending Lahore Qalandars are leaving no stone unturned to have a serious tilt at the crown.

The Qalandars, on paper, have shrewdly signed up Brendon McCullum, who changed the outlook of New Zealand cricket with inspirational captaincy skills before retiring from the international scene almost a year ago.

McCullum’s choice as captain in place of Azhar Ali will certainly make the Qalandars the biggest challengers for the trophy.

With the 2017 edition of the Pakistan Super League just round the corner, let’s have a look at what to expect and which players to watch out for.

Given the heavy modern-day schedule of international cricket, three franchises have effected changes to their squads from last year with Islamabad United and Karachi Kings retaining theirs.

But in the run-up to the start of the competition, there are prospects of more changes in the offing.

While the coming weeks will have Pakistan cricket fans avidly glued to the PSL razzmatazz, former Test player and now a renowned cricket analyst Bazid Khan, who saw the competition unfolding as part of the commentary team says: “Hopefully the second edition will be bigger and better. Once PSL is staged in Pakistan then it’ll really take off!”

The legacy of the PSL is certainly something to behold, considering Pakistan has been starved of top-flight international cricket for nearly eight years now.

The ambitious plans of playing the final at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore sound like sweet music to the ears despite a conspiracy being hatched by the international players’ association to sabotage that dream.

Naveed Asghar, chief marketing officer of PSL’s title sponsor Habib Bank Limited (HBL), expects the league to grow bigger as time goes by.

“There is no doubt in my mind about the future of PSL. I foresee the league not only returning to Pakistan but also growing into a true identity worldwide. The HBL, as title sponsor and being a global bank, are delighted to be involved with the PSL because we all feel that the general standard of the game will not only improve from all angles but also expand further to benefit Pakistan cricket,” he says.

Players to watch

The bleak 2016 campaign of Karachi Kings saw one man still stand out to the extent that he emerged as the player-of-the-tournament. Ravi Bopara, the in-and-out England all-rounder scored 329 runs — just six behind the competition’s leading run-getter Lahore Qalandars’ Umar Akmal — and claimed 11 wickets from nine matches, including the best figures of the event: 6-16 against the Qalandars at Sharjah.

This time, Bopara will again compete against a galaxy of stars which will be out to show their already-proven mettle in world cricket.

Undoubtedly, the biggest signing of the second season has been the talismanic Brendon McCullum. After retiring from the international scene, the former New Zealand captain will be leading Lahore Qalandars. His mere presence will surely make a huge difference to the fortunes of a side that sadly flattered to deceive last year.

McCullum needs no introduction. One of the most destructive batsmen the world has ever seen, he is a dream choice for any franchise and the Qalandars will probably feel that they have got the ammunition this time to claim the trophy they desperately want.

The Qalandars, however, have lost the services of the temperamental Chris Gayle. The gale force will aid Karachi Kings to blow off their opponents in the coming edition after the West Indian superstar mustered only 103 from five outings for his previous employers. Watch out for those monstrous strikes into the stands from his booming bat!

Peshawar Zalmi will rely heavily on Darren Sammy to do them proud. A two-time skipper of World Twenty20 title-winning with the West Indies, Sammy has the knack of getting the best out of the team he leads, a valid reason why the Zalmi management has given him the mantle instead of the fading superhero of Pakistan cricket, Shahid Afridi.

Umar Akmal may have been a star on the wane for the past some years now. His latest comeback for Pakistan was hugely disappointing Down Under. But on his day, the youngest of the Akmal siblings has the potential — tragically yet to be fulfilled — to make his mark and could play a major role for the Qalandars just like the last time.

On top of that what about Kamran Akmal? He is heading into the second edition on the back of a prolific domestic season during which he was the only batsman to go past 1,000 first-class runs.

The best bet for a Pakistani to steal the limelight is the big-hitting Sharjeel Khan, the first man from Hyderabad to make the cut at Test level. The left-hander was the solitary bright light during the 4-1 ODI series hammering against Australia. Who can forget his batting against Peshawar Zalmi in Dubai last year when he bludgeoned the only century of the tournament — 117 from just 62 deliveries with 12 boundaries and eight sixes — for eventual champions Islamabad United.

Babar Azam is not far behind either to make strong statement. The brightest batting prospect for Pakistan to emerge in the last six months, the 22-year-old will be Karachi Kings’ main source of inspiration.

Quetta Gladiators will be expecting Ahmed Shehzad to carry his recent excellent one-day form into the PSL. Another man with abundance of talent but who is very anxious to rehabilitate himself and regain his spot in the national team, which ironically could have benefited had he been selected for the recent few series.

And coming to the newbies…

If the first edition brought the hidden talent of Hasan Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Asghar and Rumman Raees Khan to the fore, then there is still hope that some new wannabes will make the cut to seriously challenge for places in the senior Pakistan team.

Among the new inductees is the immensely-talented Fakhar Zaman, the left-handed batsman, who will open the innings for the Qalandars. He could be the second one from Mardan to follow into Younis Khan’s big shoes, if luck favours him in his debut PSL season.

The Qalandars must have noticed his gradual development into a cricketer of rare quality to offer him a contract. Former national selector Saleem Jaffer already reckons the 26-year-old is ripe for international cricket following success in Pakistan ‘A’ colours.

Not far behind is another new Qalandars signing — Ghulam Mudassar. The left-armer, who is just 17 years of age despite visibly looking around to be 22 or 23 at the least, has got the pace to create havoc. Another guy who had played for Pakistan ‘A’, Mudassar originally hails from Hazara but grew up and learnt cricket in Karachi.

Hussain Talat has got everything to be ranked as a decent all-round cricketer. Still only 20, Hussain bats left-handed and bowls right-arm seamers. The national selectors have been monitoring his progress closely as they pray for someone to fill the ‘all-rounder’ breach in Pakistan’s one-day and T20 squads. A good debut for the reigning PSL champions Islamabad United could well put this youngster in the running for international baptism.

To view Dawn.com’s coverage for Pakistan Super League 2017, click here.

The writer is a member of staff.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, February 5th, 2017