IPL 2016: 5 Pakistani players we would have loved to watch this season

After the delicious main course, it is now time for a fancy dessert. Yes, you got it right. After the T20 World Cup, it is now time for the fanciest and most glitzy cricket league once again.

Also read: IPL 2016: How the IPL team owners make money, how the IPL players are paid - Decoding IPL economics

The cash-rich tournament has witnessed some nail-biting encounters between the finest stars from the industry. But when it comes to neighbors Pakistan, the IPL remains nothing but a forbidden fruit.

If the IPL is all about unequalled entertainment, the fans have come short of receiving it in its fullest grandeur all these years. The likes of Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Wahab Riaz, Mohammed Amir, and few other Pakistani cricketers have remained conspicuous by their deprivation in the tournament.

And every honest fan would agree that some of these brilliant performers would have taken the thrill of the IPL to a whole new level. Pakistan has produced few of the finest T20 players who miss out on the tournament each year, thanks to the ruthless politics.

Imagine Virat Kohli walking out with Ahmed Shehzad to open for RCB. Mohammed Hafeez spinning the ball to southpaw Yuvraj Singh and it’s either a six or a clean bowled. Shahid Afridi playing against RCB and doing a Chris Gayle. A spectacular bat-and-ball show between Wahab Riaz and Steve Smith. Mohammed Amir taking another 8-3 against your opponent team.

Well, the list of imaginations is as long as the wait for its actuality.

The Pakistan cricket team has effortlessly been one of the most successful sides in the T20 format. Even as individual players, the team has few of the most attractive cricketers tailored for the T20 format.

Here is a list of men in green who we would have loved to watch play in the ninth edition of the IPL:

Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi played for Deccan Chargers in the first season

If Afridi was a part of the IPL auctions, we are sure he would be one among the most sought-after bids. The boom-boom man played for Deccan Charges in the inaugural season of the IPL but failed to deliver much from his end.

But there is no denying that he is one of the most explosive batsmen in the game’s shortest version. If cricket is a religion, the T20 format has proved to be the Mecca for Afridi. From being the man of the tournament in the World T20 2007 to one of the biggest stars of the Big Bash league, Afridi has much thrill and charisma associated with his name.

Along with his signature shots, he can also pick a wicket or two and thus makes for a complete package. And not to forget, his idiosyncratic celebration stance adds to the frenzy in the crowd. What a mouthwatering show would it be to see Afridi fire on all cylinders in the IPL.