Pakistani Cricketers Who Played IPL Still After 2008 Ban

IPL has seen Pakistani players featuring in its inaugural season. The inaugural season in 2008 saw players such as Shohail Tanvir, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, and others representing different franchises. This gained huge crowd attraction and became one of the most sensational league crickets in the world.

Everything was fine until the 26th November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, which propelled the Government of India and BCCI to ban the Pakistan cricketers. The political differences and security concerns put restrictions on the inclusion of Pakistani players in the league. Since 2009, there have not been any Pakistani players in the tournament.

However, there are a few players whose roots lie in Pakistan, which is their place of origin. Due to the citizenship of other nations, these players have had the chance to play in the IPL.

Let’s look at such Pakistani cricketers who Played IPL After 2008 Ban:

Owais Shah

Owais Shah another Pakistan-origin cricketer, born in Karachi and shifted to Europe was a good enough middle-order batsman for the England cricket team in ODIs. His ability to play sensible knocks made him a fine player for the English team. Owais Shah was first purchased in the IPL 2009 by Delhi Daredevils but he made his debut in IPL 2010 from KKR against Deccan Chargers, since then he played for Kochi Tuskers Kerala (2011) and Rajasthan Royals (2012 & 2013). With an average of 33 and a 130 strike rate, Shah made about 506 runs in his IPL career. Shah’s career could have achieved a certain height had he been given a longer run.

Azhar Mahmood

Born in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Azhar Mahmood also played for Auckland Cricket. a fast-bowling all-rounder who could change the course of the game in a few minutes. His skills made him one of the finest players in world cricket. Represented Kings XI Punjab (2012 & 2013) and KKR (2015), Azhar made his debut in 2012 and has done decently well in his IPL career. As an all-rounder, he had a strike rate of around 128 along with 388 runs in 23 matches, and picked up 29 wickets at an economy of 7.8. He did well in limited opportunities in his IPL career and was always a part of the core group.

Imran Tahir

Born in Lahore Pakistan, Tahir left his native country and settled in South Africa for his cricketing career. One of the finest leg-spinners of the generation and the most respected player across the world, Tahir’s experience of cricket worldwide helped him in the IPL. Trusted by different franchises at different phases and he had a decent run with the three teams Delhi Daredevils (2014-2016), Rising Pune Supergiant (2017), and Chennai Super Kings (2017-2021).

His googlies made him one of the most difficult bowlers to score against. Tahir had a good IPL career, picking up 82 wickets in 59 matches at an economy of 7.76. At the age of 45, Tahir is still playing in various leagues across the world and doing magic with his variations.

Usman Khawaja

Born in Islamabad Pakistan, and at present one of the core Australian test cricket team members. Usman Khawaja represented the Rising Pune Supergiants in 2016. He had a poor outing in the 6 matches and scored some 127 runs with a strike rate of 127. His technique, primarily suited for test cricket, didn’t help him much and failed in getting him another chance. Unfortunately, Khawaja couldn’t replicate his decent performance in the international T20. Averaging just over 20, Khawaja could’ve wished for a better IPL career.

Sikandar Raza

Born in Sialkot, Pakistan, Sikandar who Raza had his first outing in the IPL 2023 with the Punjab Kings. Bought at INR 50 Lakh, Raza represented PBKS in 9 matches, scoring nearly 182 runs at a strike rate of 133. His role as a finisher helped PBKS secure a few wins and move ahead in the points table. As an all-rounder with the ball, his contribution was not enough as expected, but so far he has 3 wickets to his name in the IPL. Sikandar Raza didn’t get enough opportunities to prove himself. However, his contribution to the PBKS will always be remembered by the fans and management.

These are the few international players who are Pakistani-originated players but were able to play in the IPL due to their foreign citizenship. They have left their mark in the league and are loved by the fans all across the world.